Psycho Circus: The 150th Hunger Games
by 66samvr
Summary: "The carnival has just begun."
1. The Twist

_Apollonius "Apollo" Karaigme, 25_  
 _Head Gamemaker_

* * *

The day had arrived. The dreaded day had arrived.

Apollo couldn't peel his eyes away from the television. He could only stare. Right now, all that was being shown was past Quell highlights. The 50th Hunger Games, that displayed Haymitch Abernathy's sharp wit against his opponent, ducking just in the nick of time as her axe flew over his head. The 75th Hunger Games, where Finnick Odair ruthlessly attacked his friends as he was pitted against multiple different Victors. The 100th Hunger Games, in which Leroy Michowitz flirted shamelessly with his Career allies, before slitting their throats in the middle of the night.

Currently, all the focus was on Pete Vermont, the most recent Quell Victor. He was sitting in a cozy armchair next to Tallulah Jeweltonne, the host of one of the most infamous talk shows in the Capitol. It amazed Apollo that while Pete was a 40 year-old man who had refused any sort of plastic surgery or altercations in the past, he still quite resembled the sly, witty, District 10 youth that had been lifted from the arena of the 125th Hunger Games.

"...could be anything, for all we know," Pete was saying. He tugged a strand of thick, black hair that had fallen loose from his ponytail. "All we have are speculations and assumptions. I know firsthand how dangerous those can be. Personally, I'd rather not know until the President herself decides to make the official announcement. I like an element of surprise."  
Tallulah giggled. "Well, Peter, you do have a point. What good's the surprise of the twist if we keep attempting to find out beforehand. And now, we go live to the President's mansion, where the official Quell announcement is to be made."

A knot rose in Apollo's stomach. This was it.

The feed switched from a smirking Pete Vermont to an outside shot of the President's mansion. A large crowd had already gathered; everyone was eager to hear what the leading lady of Panem had to say, even Apollo. Quells were always a big deal for Gamemakers. And while a good chunk of the arena had been placed together, things could change. Details could be altered to fit the specifics of the Quell twist. And when the President showed up, everything had to earn her seal of approval.

 _Speak of the devil,_ Apollo thought to himself as the doors to the balcony swung open. Out came President Rosalina Snow, the woman who had been in power ever since the 80th Hunger Games, when she was just 17 years old. Now, she was nearing 87, but still carried herself with a sense of confidence and power. Her neatly trimmed hair was snow white. She wore a bright red blouse, with a matching skirt. Her wide blue eyes glanced from left to right, surveying the crowd of screaming Capitolites beneath her. If there was thing Apollo hated about President Snow, it was here eyes. He hated how she would stare at him, making him feel tiny and vulnerable.

"Welcome all," President Snow said in a calm tone. "Welcome to the reading of the Quarter Quell for the 150th Hunger Games."

The crowd cheered wildly; the President held up a hand to quiet them down. She began to list off all the Quells that had occurred in the past.

"For the 25th Hunger Games and first Quell, as a reminder to the rebels that it is their own fault their children perish ever year, the district citizens were responsible for voting on who would enter the Games.

For the 50th Hunger Games and second Quell, as a reminder that two rebels were executed for every Capitol citizen that was murdered, each district was required to offer up twice as many tributes.

For the 75th Hunger Games and third Quell, as a reminder to the rebels that not even the strongest can overcome the power of the Capitol, the tributes were chosen from each district's pool of living Victors.

For the 100th Hunger Games and fourth Quell, as a reminder to the rebels that the Capitol is merciful and only punishes those who rightfully wronged this country, the tributes were chosen from from a list of eligible criminals in each District.

For the 125th Hunger Games and fifth Quell, as a reminder to the rebels that they were responsible for tearing so many families apart, each district was to offer up a pair of siblings as tributes.

And now...we honour our sixth Quell."

The President kept a neutral expression, slowly sinking down in a golden throne behind her. She then snapped her fingers. A little girl, about the age of seven ran up carrying a box. The President carefully lifted the lid; it amazed Apollo to see all the faded yellow envelopes inside. Had they always been that colour?

President Snow wasted no time grabbing an envelope, holding it up so the crowd could see. Everyone fell silent.

The President carefully pulled the seal from the envelope without damaging it and slipped out a single piece of paper. Apollo held his breath. The twist was only read once, but the words stayed behind, echoing throughout the mansion, the Capitol, and Apollo's home.

"For the sixth Quarter Quell, as a reminder to the rebels that they were responsible for teaching their children to turn their backs on the Capitol, the Reaping age bracket has been winded. Anyone from the age of 12 to 25 is now eligible to participate in this year's Hunger Games."

* * *

 **Wassup folks, Vr here! And I have a brand new SYOT!**

 **No, don't worry. OLS is still happening and it's still a top priority. I've just decided to come up with an entirely different universe and SYOT with my good friend MarsSpaceMom! She'll be writing this with me.**

 **A few things to note about our story:**

 **This is a partial SYOT. We have created a handful of tributes that will be present in the story. However, several slots are still open to the submitters. Which reminds me...**

 **This is NOT first-come, first-serve. We will leave submissions open until a specific date, then choose the tributes for the various slots after it closes.**

 **Maximum three submissions per person. Remember, the age range is 12-25. You can submit to whichever open slot, but at least one submission must be a Bloodbath tribute. (Keep in mind I don't always kill off Bloodbath tributes in the Bloodbath, but it's still nice to have options).**

 **Please submit using the Google Form, which can be found on my profile. It's much neater and that way, I have all forms in one area. I have a tendency to lose PMs.  
**

 **DIVERSITY. We'd love to see tributes of different races, sexualities, and genders. Any hateful comments towards a character's sexuality or gender will not be tolerated.  
**

 **At some time in the future, we will start accepting submissions for escorts. This will be addressed at a later point.**

 **Check out my profile for random story updates and to find out which types of tribute we'd like more of. If you want to know a bit more about this universe, don't be afraid to PM me or Mars!**

 **I'll see you guys in the next chapter!**

 **-Vr**


	2. The Lap of Luxury

_Rosalina Snow, 87_  
 _President of Panem_

* * *

Nobody dared to question it as Rosalina strutted down the hallways towards the Gamemaker's Office, where the team was working on putting the arena together. Avoxes lifted up their heads when they heard the sound of her high heels clacking on the polished floors, but none dared to approach her. She was the President, after all. Her word held a higher authority than anybody else in Panem.

Roslina carefully opened the doors, then slipped in. She went unnoticed by the Gamemakers, who were bustling around frantically. It didn't take Rosalina long to spot the golden, wavy locks of Apollonius Karaigme, the Head Gamemaker. Part of her wondered what he thought about the Quell twist that had been announced yesterday. Whether or not it affected Apollo didn't matter, as he was his usual self today.

"Come on guys, what's going on!? How many times do I have to tell you, this isn't rocket science! You've built arenas before; why are we so slow today!? Get to work! Blueprints! Make sure you follow the blueprints and don't miss a single step! And Cherry!"  
A younger Gamemaker with short blue hair lifted up her head. "Yes sir?"  
"How's that report coming along?"  
"I'm almost done-"

Apollo frowned. "Well, that's not good enough! I need it on my desk now!"

Rosalina chuckled to herself before retreating back into the hallway, shutting the door behind her. Apollo was a vain but spontaneous young man, which was why she chose him for this job. She had admired some of his past creations and was fairly confident that this year, he wouldn't disappoint. If all else failed, she could just kill him.

She then made her way back to the President's mansion. Once Rosalina was inside, an Avox came and took off her coat, hanging it up on the nearby rack. Another took her high heels once she had them off and a third brought her a pair of slippers. Rosalina made her way upstairs, where she changed out of her work clothes and into a much more comfortable robe. Then, she sunk into a lounge chair and sighed.

As she relaxed, Rosalina let her thoughts wander. The Quell was certainly generating a lot of hype...and fear. As President, it was her job to keep Panem in line, the district operating, and the Capitol safe. She couldn't tolerate any nonsense whatsoever, before things got too rowdy. Ever since she was a young teenager with a dead grandfather who left his seat of power to her, Rosalina had quite the legacy to live up to.

Which made her wonder if she was doing a good enough job.

The 55 years her grandfather spent in office, or better known as the Coriolanus Dynasty, were a very notable time in Panem history. Coriolanus Snow ruled with an iron fist. He wasn't afraid to unleash squads of Peacekeepers onto rebellious districts and execute those he felt untrustworthy. Nobody could ever dare lay a finger on him; his nimble old fingers would be slipping poison into their wine before they knew it. He finally passed away at the age of 81, after drinking from the poisoned cup himself finally took its toll.

Rosalina could still remember the smell of white roses dying with him.

There was no way she would ever be able to recreate that time, but Rosalina had certainly done her best. She had increased quotas, but it helped get a lot of people of the streets and into a job. It also helped send more well-fed tributes into the Games, tributes who were capable of stirring the pot up a bit. She had discontinued the prostitution market for the Victors, because she needed them on her side. Certainly the districts would like her better if she treated their beloveds like celebrities. She had given District 5 the funds they needed to start construction of their own Career Academy, because Rosalina thought adding more Careers could create more bloodshed.

There were mixed feelings about this. Some saw Rosalina was an angel. Others believed that she wasn't any better than her grandfather. Most of the time, Rosalina figured out that these people were often associated with rebels. The Peacekeepers dealt with them easily and they were never heard from again.

She was still pondering this when she heard a knock on the door. It was quickly opened by the Avox; the sounds of excited children could be heard. Rosalina smiled as she headed downstairs, where her son was waiting.

Juno Snow just grinned. Even though he was 59, he still looked incredibly handsome and young for his age. Rosalina swung her arms around her son, pulling him into a tight embrace. Eventually, Juno tried to push her off him. "Augh, Mom! You're embarrassing me in front of the kids!"

Rosalina finally let go, pinching her son's cheek and laughing when he blushed. Two of her grandkids laughed too. Constance, who was the eldest at 19, just rolled her eyes. "Dad, can we just get what we need and go?"

Juno sighed. "Sure thing, honey."

Constance ran off, her siblings following behind her. Rosalina decided to lead her son to the living room. They sat down together on a couch and ordered some tea from an Avox. Once the drinks arrived, Rosalina decided to get talking.

"So, how are things?"  
"Well...Constance is going back to university in three weeks. I think that she's doing really well there. She's clearly taking care of herself and meeting new people who can help her with her identity. We haven't gone through any surgeries yet, but she really wants to someday. I told her that it's something we can take a look at next time shes's home from school and I'll help pay the costs."

Rosalina rolled her eyes. She had always tried to connect with her grandkids and understand them...but she never really understood Constance's current situation and struggles with gender identity. "Well...good through, I guess. And the young ones?"  
"Well, they're both very excited about the Quell. Jericho's a teenager now, and he's been trying to figure that out. And little Evangeline...well, I guess she's not really little anymore."

That got a chuckle out of both adults. Rosalina put a hand on top of her son's. "I remember the first time you got to experience a Quarter Quell."  
"You do?"  
"Oh, you were such a small kid, and so excited! I remember you running around backstage, pulling the Avoxes down to you and whispering in their ear about how you got to carry the box. It was amazing we got you to wait in time and not corm out too early!"

Juno smiled. "Yep. I remember being an excited little kid."  
"Are you still excited?"  
"Absolutely."

* * *

 **Second prologue! Presidents! Grandchildren!**

 **So, submissions are still open! You can submit up to three tributes each! Remember to use the Google Form; the link is up on my profile. Mars and I don't have a finalized closing date yet, so we'll let you know once we've figured it out.**

 **Also, I've opened up escort submissions for Psycho Circus! These are first-come first-serve, but we're really excited to see the type of characters you come up with!**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Remember, if you need to know any details about tributes, the story, certain characters, or worldbuilding, you can always PM one of us!**

 **-Vr**


	3. Meet the Mentors Pt I

**Trigger warning: Mentions of non-consensual pregnancy in the District 6 POV. Please proceed with caution.**

* * *

 _District 1_

* * *

 _Leroy Michowitz, Victor of the 100th Hunger Games_  
 _Devote McLaster, Victor of the 133rd Hunger Games_

It was spring time in District 1.

Most of the snow had melted away, as little colourful flowers sprung up from the ground. Grass was starting to appear. Birds began to fly in circles. Light breezes blew away the signs of winter storms. Shopkeepers opened up their doors with smiles as little children eagerly ran in circles.

And Devote McLaster was having a cup of tea.

"I don't get why he'd want to work with me," Devote muttered. She began absentmindedly picking lint off her jacket. "I mean...don't you have more experience?"  
Onyx Mechova, Victor of the 105th Hunger Games, just shrugged. "Leroy works in very mysterious ways. Ever since he won, he's always been like that. He picks his mentoring partner and we stay out of his way, doing our own things. Personally, I think he didn't want me because I'm too old and Stella because she's too young. Plus, she and Angel are always attached at the hip."

Devote frowned. "There's others he could've talked to. Like Sence."  
"Honey, when was the last time you've ever seen Evanescence go to the Academy, much less want to be involved with it? Plus, I think they're not really in the mood to mentor anymore, especially during a Quell. Also, their eldest daughter's getting married this fall, so they have that to worry about."

"Yikes!" Devote knew from personal experience how crazy a wedding could be. She wondered if she'd still fit in her dress. "Okay, fine. It's just...like, what's supposed to happen when you mentor during a Quell? Do you have to follow any new procedures?"  
"None that I know of."  
"And Michowitz himself?"  
"Just focus on helping your assigned tribute."

Devote nodded. "Okay. Got it."  
This got a smile from the older Victor. "Relax, kiddo. You're a trained professional! It's not your first time dealing with the big dogs. You know all the tricks in the book...and a few more they don't teach ya in school."  
"Yeah. It isn't." Devote grinned. "And I'm gonna make sure that if anyone gets to claim another Quell Victor, it's gonna be District 1!"

Onyx playfully punched the blonde's arm. "That's the spirit!"

* * *

While most of Victor's Village inhabitants were out enjoying a sunny spring day, Leroy Michowitz was inside. The door to his study was closed and locked, leaving him alone with all his books and papers and whatnot. Leroy's wife, children, and grandchildren knew perfectly well not to go inside. Even though he was a respected Victor, he was also a criminal.

The 100th Hunger Games had been a rather controversial one. Each district had a list of their most notorious, rebellious, dangerous criminals within Reaping age, whose names were dumped into those little glass balls and drawn out with the escort's manicured hands. And when Leroy was picked, a tall muscular, 18 year-old boy with long blond locks and a violent gaze stepped forward. His arms were covered in small tattoos of little jewels and precious gemstones. It was said that every time he claimed another life, he'd add a new tattoo.

A body count was the furthest thing from Leroy's mind right now. He was studying. Various weapon techniques, the different types of martial arts, multiple ways to kill someone with just bare hands. The styles that had been adopted by Victors of the past. It was the Quell Victors that he found the most interesting. Haymitch Abernathy. Finnick Odair. Pete Vermont.  
And himself.

When Leroy said he wanted to mentor this year, absolutely nobody questioned it. Sure there was a small whine from Stella or a scowl from Evanescence, but he wasn't to be challenged. No. You couldn't cross Leroy Michowitz and expect to walk away alive.

But if Leroy was to mentor, he wanted a tribute who was as tough and ruthless as he was. He wanted someone who could hold their ground, but also allow themselves to be molded, sculpted into a killer beats. He wanted someone who took honour in the Quell, and the decision to represent their District. He wanted a trained murderer. An ultimate Career.

A future Victor.

* * *

 _District 2_

* * *

 _Nike Papadopoulos, Victor of the 110th Hunger Games_  
 _Slate McNeil, Victor of the 145th Hunger Games_

Rule number one. You don't cross Nike Papadopoulos and live.

Rule number two. Whenever Nike Papadopoulos asks for something, she always gets it.

Of course, Victors were often exempt form the rules. Which was why Slate McNeil followed the older woman down the hall of the Training Academy without a hint of shame. "Nike, there's gotta be an error! Surely you don't want me as a mentoring partner!"

The victor's steel grey eyes narrowed into little slits. "Did I not speak clearly enough for you?"  
"Wouldn't you rather have a guy who's not potentially younger than the tribute he's mentoring?"

"No."  
Slate groaned. "At least tell me your reasoning then."

Nike glared at him. "Mr. McNeil, would you like to see our District win the 150th Hunger Games?"  
"...yes?"  
"Good. Then I assume you'll be as motivated as I am to work towards that goal and make it possible. In the meantime, I suggest you leave everything up to me; I have a strategy set up and all I expect is for you to carry it out and do as I say."

"Yes ma'am!" Slate straightened up and executed a little salute. He expected Nike to slap him or something, but she just frowned, her eyes sparkling faintly. So she wasn't completely mad with him for not agreeing instantly to her little plan. That was good.

Rule number thee. Don't _ever_ make Nike Papadopoulos mad.

As Slate headed back to the main rooms of the Training Academy, Nike locked herself up in her office and checked herself out in the mirror. She had always taken pride in the fact that she looked younger then she actually was, but now her age was starting to show through. Wrinkles had begun forming on her face and her dirty-blonde hair was growing grey at the roots.

Ugh. She felt _old._

She would never mention it out loud, but Nike desperately needed this victory. Even though District 2's latest success had been five years ago, it felt like a lifetime to her. She was getting older and older; soon, they'd make her retire from mentoring, especially with so many younger Victors to take her place. She could just kick her feet up and relax. She could've asked Shale to work with Mercury, Jumanji, Yvette, Galahad, or even the twins, Eris and Odin.

Speaking of the twins, Nike immediately knew it was them when she heard a knock on her door.  
"Go away!"

"Aw!" Odin Jhett's scratchy voice came from the other side of the door. "Girl, all you do is sit in there and work! Come on out, throw some axes with us and the kids! Juamnji and old Gaius are! Dang, for an old man, he's still got the power."  
Nike rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't you two be overseeing training right now instead of acting like little brats!?"

The lock jiggled. Once the door was open, Eris Jhett poked their head in. "I'm hurt! How dare you call us little brats!"  
"Yeah!" Odin's grinning face appeared above his twin. "That's Mr. and Mx. Brat to you!"  
Eris snickered. "Idiot."  
"Um excuse me, you're the idiot!"

"Be thankful that you two already won the Games before I could change my mind about that. Now, get the hell out of my office!"  
Nike slammed her fists on the desk. The twins yelped and backed off, slamming the door shut behind them. Nike then sunk into her chair, pressing her fingers against her forehead.

If she wanted to secure a Victory for District 2, she had a lot of work to get done.

* * *

 _District 3_

* * *

 _Byte Tivone, Victor of the 129th Hunger Games_  
 _Gibson LePaul, Victor of the 119th Hunger Games_

The sound of Gibson LePaul's acoustic guitar and Techana Wu's old grand piano did nothing to calm Byte Tivone's nerves. Normally, she'd be smiling or bopping her head along with the music. Now, she was fighting back tears and she was reminded of memories in this very house less than one year ago.

Less than one year ago, when she quietly cuddled up next to Sawyer and reminded him about how much she loved her child. Less than one year ago when Sawyer would ask her to make her infamous double-chocolate brownies, with a smile she just couldn't say no to. Less than one year ago when Sawyer sat in front of the television and watched his parent slaughter away. He didn't say anything then. Instead, he simply asked why.

And Byte knew right then and there that she did not deserve to love him.

Now, whenever she caught highlights of her Games, she felt like a monster. Now, whenever she made brownies, they always tasted bitter. Now, whenever she got lonely, she nobody to cuddle up to. She had no Sawyer. She had no child. Any sort of reminder of the son that was taken from her just sent her quietly sobbing, heart full of ache and eyes full of tears.

Lorrie, Gibson's wife, seemed to notice the Victor's crying and put the bowstring of her cello down. "Do you wanna talk about it?"  
Byte shook her head. She touched her face, then pulled her heads back when they made contact with her running mascara. Byte always wore mascara on the days she felt feminine, simply because that was how she felt the day when Lorrie first taught her how to put it on. Now, she was reminded of Sawyer attempting to do her makeup himself, making a mess but laughing anyways.

Gibson put down his guitar. "Byte...it's...it's okay. Just let it all out. Let it out."  
Byte hiccuped a few times, before her breathing slowed to a normal rate and she could finally see. She clutched one of her couch cushions tightly, as if the cushion was Sawyer and she didn't even dare think of letting go. Everyone was staring at her now. Guitar picks, music books, and bowstrings were held in hands, long forgotten.

"Would you like me to mentor this year?" Techana asked.  
Gibson shook his head. "After you broke your hip last autumn?"  
"I may be old, but I'm still a young one at heart!" Techana laughed waved her hand dismissively, though Byte knew that the 64 year-old Victor of the 108th Hunger Games was still in more pain than she'd admit. "Give the kid a break, Gibson!"

"No. You still need time to fully recover and we all know it. Byte and I our mentoring. End of story. Unless..." Gibson looked at Byte. "Byte, do you think you can handle it?"  
Byte nodded through her tears. This...this wasn't a new concept, right? She could do it. All she had to do was try and forget the last time she mentored, the last tribute she promised to help-

A pair of sturdy arms wrapped around her body and gently pulled her close. It was Gibson. Byte choked out some sort of noise, letting her fellow Victor hug her tight. Lorrie was rubbing her back. Techana began playing a few soft notes on the piano. Finally, Byte was starting to calm down.

"Is there anything you need, dear?" Lorrie asked.

There wasn't anything Byte needed, but something she wanted. Similarly to Gibson, Sawyer had loved music. He always dreamed of playing an instrument someday, and made sure Byte knew which one. "Can you teach how to play?"  
Lorrie nodded. "Play what?"

Byte didn't even hesitate. "What Sawyer always wanted to play. The clarinet."

* * *

 _District 4_

* * *

 _Garret Odair, Victor of the 126 Hunger Games_  
 _Chelsea Odair, Victor of the 149th Hunger Games_

The tropical storm raged on.

Chelsea's light brown hair whipped around her face. She scanned the surrounding area desperately, as trainers and trainees alike began to run. The rain continued to pour down hard and despite her knee-length boots, her feet were still wet.

"Let's go, everybody out of here NOW!"  
A trainer passed by, carrying waterproof binders full of important documents and papers that couldn't get wet or be replaced. "Miss Odair, there's still children trapped in the Training Academy!"

"What!?" Chelsea's Career instincts took action as she raced back to the Academy as fast as she could in soaking rainboots. She kicked the front door open and was instantly surprised when a strong burst of wind ripped it off its hinges. Chelsea had no time to worry about that. Instead, she picked up a forgotten flashlight and turned it on. A high-pitched scream sounded through the halls.

"Over here! Over here!"  
"Keep making noise!" Chelsea slowed her pace and trudged towards the sound, pointing her flashlight ahead of her. "I'm coming to find you!"

Eventually, she found them. Two thirteen year-old girls, who were trapped under part of a collapsed ceiling. One of them could barely move, instead just lay there, screaming and crying. She had broken her leg.  
Chelsea immediately slung the girl over her shoulder. She handed the flashlight to the second girl. Suddenly, there was loud rumbling noise. The wind kicked up again and a huge chunk of the roof came flying off.

"Follow me!" Chelsea tore through the remains of the Academy, careful not jostle the trainee on her shoulders too much. Loud panting told her that the other charge was not far behind. They finally burst through the doorway of the Academy as the rest of the building was attacked by the oncoming storm.

Chelsea gently eased the girl off her shoulders, setting her down on a makeshift stretcher that was carried by two medics. Several of the district's best doctors and healers were attempting to care for anyone who could've gotten hurt. Among them, talking quietly with a young boy, was Garret Odair.

"Chelsea!" He ran up to his daughter. "You didn't get hurt, did you? Are you okay?"  
Chelsea shook he head. Garret just sighed and hugged her daughter tightly. The embrace was much warmer than the rain, or the winds, or anything else right now. For a moment, they just stood together, holding each other as the storm continue to wreck what had once been District 4's Training Academy.

"No," Chelsea said in a hoarse voice. garret understood. It was highly unlikely they'd have the Academy rebuilt and operating in time for the Reapings. This meant that District 4 would have no volunteers, something Garret desperately wanted to avoid. He'd rather send trained killers, willing killers, into the Games, as opposed to someone who never wanted to be Reaped in the first place.

Garret squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to think about the disaster, the feeling of looking into a young tribute's eyes as they asked him why this time, they had nobody to save them. Why he was letting them march off to their certain death, without a volunteer stepping in for honour and glory. It was the same fate the Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta, Garret's grandparents, had faced. And he had a feeling nobody would be as lucky.

But with no Training Academy, where would he get those tributes?

"What happens now?" Chelsea asked.

"I don't know, sweetheart. I don't know."

* * *

 _District 5_

* * *

 _Katarina Cashley, Victor of the 131st Hunger Games_  
 _Carmichael Park, Victor of the 132nd Hunger Games_

Carmichael Park was mad.

Victors fought for their right to live. Victors fought for their right to survive. Victors fought to go back home, where they could live in peace.

But now, Kelvin's life consisted of anything but peace. Carmichael thought that was unfair. Kelvin deserved to grow old! Not find himself stuck in his bed, with some sort of disease he'd never be able to rid himself of!

All of District 5's living Victors sat around Kelvin's wheelchair, as he flipped through the papers containing his diagnosis. If it wasn't for Katarina Cashley's firm hand on his shoulder, Carmichael would've grabbed that clipboard and broken it in two. He wanted to shred the papers and throw them to the wind.

Finally, Kelvin finished reading and turned to face the others Victors. "Well...I'll be lucky if I make it to the end of the year."  
Katarina sighed. "What will happen before then?"  
"Isn't it obvious? Bit by bit, I'm dying. Look at me, I can't even walk anymore. I can't leave the damn wheelchair. And eventually, once my entire body shuts down, I'm as good as gone."

"No," Carmichael hissed. "You're not gonna die. You'll make to the end of the year and next year too. You're not leaving me."  
"Carm-" Surge, the eldest Victor, began to say, but he was quickly interrupted by Carmichael standing up so fast, his chair fell over.

"No! He's not dying on me! Kelvin, I fought hard to get you out of that arena! So you could live. You're only 4 and you've got so many decades ahead of you, so you are going to live! You can't die! I...I won't allow it!" The tears were falling and Carmichael found himself in font of Kelvin. His voice was shaky. "I won't allow it...you can't."

"Carmichael..." Kelvin reached out and patted his mentor on the shoulder. "It's okay."  
"No. It's not. There's gotta be something I can do! Something!"

Katarina shook her head. "ALS is incurable. Even with the best medicine we Victors can afford, even with the best doctors Panem has to offer, we'd only slow down the inevitable, not stop it entirely. It's out of your control, Carm. And Kelvin's. I wish the diagnosis wasn't true either, but...there is only so much we can do."

Leave it to Katarina to tell it how it was.

"We have other things to worry about," Kelvin pointed out. "The Reaping is in three months. I know it's my turn to mentor, but the wheelchair makes it hard to visit certain places. Plus, I really don't want the Capitol gossip magazines knowing. They'll make this a big deal, if they're smart enough to know what ALS is."  
"So, you're staying back here." Surge's voice was firm. "I'll make sure that our Academy sends the best-"

"I'll do it."

Everyone glanced at Carmichael.  
"You hate the Academy," Katarina reminded him. "Don't I remember you saying that you never wanted to be involved with it?"  
"I don't care. I'll go to the Capitol this year. I'll mentor. I'll do it...for Kelvin."

Kelvin smiled. "You bring back a Victor for me."  
Carmichael nodded through his tears.

"I will."

* * *

 _District 6_

* * *

 _Junpei Toyota, Victor of the 106th Hunger Games_  
 _Spencer Mackevice, Victor of the 120th Hunger Games_

"You're kidding! You've got to be frickin' kidding! You're a grown man and I still can't leave you alone!?"

Spencer Mackevice just shrugged. He put his arms around the Avoxes. "Hey, I never asked for a babysitter."  
Junpei Toyota looked ready to pull out his hair. "We're Victors, Spencer! We're supposed to be examples! Role models! And...you go ahead and do this! I...what...what the hell is wrong with you!?"

Spencer leaned over and kissed the Avox on his right. "Eh, she'll be fine. I can afford a good doctor. If she thinks she's not good enough for it, she can abort."  
The Avox blushed furiously. She had on a flirty smile, but Junpei could tell it was fake. He wasn't in idiot. He could read people. "You didn't ask consent, did you!?"  
The Avox tugged at the blanket covering her chest. She avoided eye contact with the older Victor.

"Hey!" Spencer waved his hands. "We're _Victors,_ Junpei! We're rich and famous! We can do whatever we want! We can have whatever we want!" He leaned over and placed his head on the Avox's shoulder. "We can sleep with whoever we want."

The one thing Junpei wanted was to punt Spencer so hard, he'd land back in the arena. Instead, he simply reached over and yanked the duvet away from Spencer's bed. The redheaded man instantly straightened up, pulling his legs back to try and hide the fact that he barely had anything on. "Hey!"

"Fun time's over," Junpei scowled. "Everybody out of the house now."  
Spencer got up, but Junpei snapped his fingers. "You. Stay." As the Avox passed him, he grabbed her arm and leaned in. "We need to talk further. Go to my house. I'll meet you there once I'm done with this idiot."

Eventually, the two Victors were alone. Junpei just simply glared at Spencer. "I am disgusted by your actions. Appalled. Repulsed."  
"Since when aren't you? You always have to criticize everything! You never leave me alone!"  
"Well, I-"  
"You're not my father, Junpei! I'm my own person and I don't have to listen to you! And don't bother spewing out your 'words of wisdom' like that, because guess what? I don't care! I don't fucking care! Do both of us a favour and _stay away from me!_ "

Even if Junpei felt like snapping, his face showed no emotion. He opened the door and walked out of the room.  
"Where are you going!?" Spencer yelled behind him.

"To my house. You don't want me cleaning up your messes, so I'm not going to. And when you're finally ready to become a decent person..." He cackled. "Don't come running to me."  
"Since when would I ever come running to you?"  
"Nine months, Spencer. In nine months, your sorry cheeks will be on my doorstep before you even know it."

* * *

 **Sup guys? Vr back. The first chapter with mentors!**

 **The other half will be introduced next chapter. Remember, submissions are still open! Both tribute submission and escort submission forms can be found on my profile. Currently, Mars and I are looking for some younger tributes, as well as non-binary ones as well.**

 **Anyways, back to the mentors. Some Districts are in a good position. Others, not so much. What did you think of the mentors? Who do you like? Who do you hate? Any other Victors that were introduced in this chapter that you'd like to know more about?**


	4. Meet the Mentors Pt II

_District 7_

* * *

 _Freida Spelburg, Victor of the 113th Hunger Games_  
 _Birch Absalane, Victor of the 127th Hunger Games_

 _Scratch...scratch...scratch..._

Freida Spelburg almost tumbled off the bed as Burton sat up and stretched, accidentally poking his wife in the shoulder. "Ugh, what is that woman doing? It's one in the morning!"  
"Just let it be, honey. If it makes Birch, happy, it makes her happy."  
"But everyone else here is trying to sleep."

Freida sighed. Sure enough, she could hear the soft padding of footsteps outside the bedroom door. After a few seconds, the door swung open to reveal Benny, the youngest of the four Spelburg sons at the age of 16. "Mom, Dad...sorry, but I can't sleep. There's too much noise going on!"  
Both of the tired parents exchanged a look. "I know, Benny," Freida yawned. "But Birch hates it when people interfere with her carving. Just...try going back to bed, okay? You'll fall asleep before you know it."

Benny frowned, but eventually left. Freida rolled over, careful to avoid Burton's outstretched arms, and closed her eyes. Eventually, sleep overcame her and it wasn't long until she had dozed off, unaware of her surroundings.

Next door, Birch Absalane knew she was making a lot of noise with her wood carving session, but she couldn't help herself. Wood carving calmed her down and allowed her to carry a knife without it being seen as too suspicious. Birch always felt better with a weapon in her hands and carving gave her something to focus on, so she was anxiously peering down the hall. When carving, Birch could distract herself from any sort of the thought that a bloodthirsty Career was coming after her. So, when a hand clamped down on her shoulder, she spun around and shrieked, knife held up high in the air.

"YOU CAN'T HAVE ME!"

Ashley, Birch's wife, jumped back. "Hey, it's okay! Just me."

After an awkward pause, the Victor finally lowered a knife. "Did you have to sneak up on me like that? I thought I was going to die!"  
"I said I was sorry." Ashley passed over a mug filled with hot chocolate. Carefully, Birch sipped the steaming liquid. "But, why are you still up? It's late!"  
"I'm not done." Birch put the mug down and went back to carving.  
"You'll have plenty of time to finish tomorrow, sweetheart. Now, let's please get to bed."

"Noooo..." Birch's whines were interrupted by Ashley yanking her up and marching her off towards the bedrooms. Birch just slumped over, her feet dragging across the floor. yes, she was tired and had some really ugly bags under her eyes, but none of that mattered. All she wanted to do was get back to her creations. Instead, she was draped across the bed, then tucked in. Ashley cozied up next to her.

"Love you..." she chuckled, before turning out the light.

And just like that, all in District 7 was silent.

* * *

 _District 8_

* * *

 _Ramie Marginald, Victor of the 128th Hunger Games_  
 _Lukari Mizawari, Victor of the 147th Hunger Games_

As usual, Lukari's grandmother knew nothing about what was going on. She was even struggling to remember the concept of a Quell. Lukari had to sit her down and explain what was happening with the Quell twist. Afterwards, Chiharu Mizawari looked upset. "Oh. You're still young my dear. I hope this doesn't affect you or Ringo."  
Lukari nodded. She was safe as a Victor, but also worried for her younger brother, who was 18 years old and eligible to be Reaped this year. "Same, Grandma."

"Well, it's completely out of our control. We're all at mercy at the hands of the Capitol. How about you make some tea, sweetheart?"

Lukari went to the kitchen and started boiling some water. Even while focusing on the kettle, she heard Ringo come in and start rummaging through the cupboards. Her set down the box of leaves beside her. "Hey. What's happening?"  
"I broke the news to Grandma?"  
"How did she take it?"

Lukari shrugged. "Better than expected."  
"That's good."  
"How are you feeling?"

Ringo shrugged. "I...don't know."  
Lukari patted him on the shoulder. "Well, we still have six months. And then...we wait and see."

In the house that stood right next to Lukari's, the atmosphere was tense. Ramie Marginald, Victor of the 128th Hunger Games, just sighed. He folded his arms and stared down the two teenage girls in front of him. "Look, girls...haven't I made it clear before that there's a time to goof off and a time to take things seriously?"

Angora, who was a year older at 17, rolled her eyes. "We were taking things seriously! It's just...we only did it to annoy this one classmate."  
"He deserved it!" Camlet announced.  
"Yeah! So we decided to pull a prank of him."  
"How were we supposed to know that the principal would come walking through the doorway when we were setting things up?"

Ramie was not having it. He had been in a rather bad mood all day, and he wasn't one for excuses. He liked the truth and nothign but the truth. If the sisters wanted to get anywhere with him, they were better off being honest. "And of all the methods you could've chosen to solve the conflict, you two chose the one that would get you in trouble."

"We..." Angora trailed off.  
"It..."  
"We didn't mean..."

Ramie heard the front door open. "Well, there's your mother. And how about you have fun explaining why you both got detention at school today while I go make dinner?"

* * *

 _District 9_

* * *

 _Benjamin Warnes, Victor of the 101st Hunger Games_  
 _Harper O'Sheppard, Victor of the 148th Hunger Games_

Days like this, Benjamin Warnes really missed his mother.

So much had been happening lately, with his kids telling him stories of their lives and his grandkids growing up. Sometimes, Benjamin would turn to his mother to share the news, only to remember she was no longer there. Addison Warnes had meant everything to Benajmin. She loved him, she taught him, she even mentored him when he got Reaped for the Hunger Games, which she described as "the worst days of her life". She had supported his decision to adopt three children form the orphanage he came form and raise them on his own.

If there was anything good that came out of her death, she had lived a long and wonderful life, unlike the 23 tributes with her in the arena.

Benjamin was currently dusting the house, making it look nice and tidy for later that night. Having lived in the same house in Victor's Village ever since Addison adopted him, Benjamin knew about every nook and cranny. He spent a bit of time admiring the photos above the fireplace, pictures of him and his mother in his youth. Benjamin used to have blue hair as a teenager, but when he got older, he decided to simply let his hair grow into its natural shade of light grey.

It looked nicer that way.

The first guests showed up a few moments later. Eventually, Benjamin's two sons, one daughter, three in-laws, and seven grandkids were all siting together in the living room. With them was one particular woman who was not, in any way, related to the Warnes clan.

"What made you want to show up?" Benjamin asked Harper O'Sheppard, District 9's most recent Victor. She lounged across an armchair, smoking a cigarette.  
"Hey, who says no to free food! Plus, you've got some like, really cute grandkids, Benji. If you ever need a babysitter someday, well, you know my number."

"Good babysitters don't give my grandchildren secondhand smoke!" Benjamin yanked the cigarette from Harper's lips, before tossing it in the nearby trash can.  
"No!" Harper lazily stretched an arm out towards the trash can. "My precious!"  
"Well, now that I have your attention, come give me a hand with dinner."

Harper sighed and stormed off to the kitchen. Benjamin followed her. Even with how annoying the younger Victor could be, Benjamin did feel a bit bad for her. The only family she had was an absent father and a drug-addicted mother. Neither of them lived with her in Victor's Village and neither of therm seemed to care that she even won in the first place. No wonder Harper came over so much.

However, two sets of hands in the kitchen proved to be more effective than one, and soon, Benjamin and Harper had placed the finishing touches on everything. They carried out the dishes to the table, where everyone gathered around and dug in. Plates were passed around, wine glasses clinked together, laughter could be heard, and everyone was smiling.

As always, one chair was left empty, saved for the most important woman in Benjamin's life.

* * *

 _District 10_

* * *

 _Peter "Pete" Vermont, Victor of the 125th Hunger Games_  
 _Sadie Solace, Victor of the 138th Hunger Games_

Normally, Pete Vermont ate breakfast in his own house, but today, he decided to visit a fellow Victor. Although Sadie Solace was busy making breakfast for her and her son, she still took the time to hand him a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee. Then, Pete just took a seat at the table, while Sadie began a long rant.

"-turned 15 a week ago and has just started another angsty phase. Thinks life is so hard, so unfair, so tough for him, but puh-lease. Give me a break. When I was 15, I chose to keep the little bastard!" Sadie groaned loudly as she prepared some pancake batter. "Actually...I really shouldn't insult my son, should I?"

Pete shrugged. "When my mother was really upset, she had some pretty creative names for me."  
"I like your mother. Mind if I take her out to lunch this weekend?"  
"She would appreciate that. Likes you more than her own child,'' Pete joked.

They both laughed, but were interrupted by Nico Solace stumbling into the kitchen, sitting down across form Pete, and dropping his head on the table.  
Sadie pointed at Nico with her spatula. "Good morning. How are you. Did you sleep well last night. Haven't I taught you anything about manners?"  
Pete nodded. "You respect your mother, Nico. She brought you into this world and she can take you out of it."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Like I haven't heard that one before."  
"Is that so?" Pete playfully threw his hand up in the air. "Looks like I'm running out of new material!"  
Sadie dumped a plate containing a stack of pancakes on the table. "Well, when you start joking, it's cue to start leaving!" She grabbed some pancakes to herself, then headed up to her room.

The conversation died down. Pete cupped his hands around his coffee. "Ok, serious talk. Show some appreciation for what your mother does for you, kid. She's hard, dedicated worker and that's something all of us Victors respect. Family is important."  
Nico lifted his head up. "Sure. Sounds like you to give the 'family is important' discussion."

That was true. If there was any Victor who believed in the importance of family, it was Pete. The Quell twist proved that. "I'm not saying you need to be all lovey-dovey with her, but she loves you and does a lot to make sure you lead the best life possible."  
"Alright." Nico dumped his head back on the table. Pete sighed.

* * *

 _District 11_

* * *

 _Hyacinth Quentin, Victor of the 107th Hunger Games_  
 _Bluebell Timsters, Victor of the 121st Hunger Games_

 _I can just show Hyacinth, right? She won't get mad. She'll support me! But, what if she doesn't like the guy? What if she thinks 46 is too old to get married? What if-_

"Hello?"  
The door was opened wide by a groggy Hyacinth Quentin. "Blue, what are you doing here? It's 7 in the morning."  
Bluebell Timsters shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. "I...want to show you something."  
"Can it wait until after I've had my coffee?"

"Uh...no. No, it can't."

The two women sat around Hyacinth's living room. "Alright," the older woman said. "What is it that you're so impatient to show me?"  
Bluebell nervously extended her hand. On her finger, a diamond ring glittered.  
"Are...are you...engaged?"

Bluebell's brown eyes sparkled. "Yes! He's such a nice man and we're getting married next summer! We were both kinda anxious about this, but...I love him enough to want to marry him and he'll come live with me in Victor's Village. I just...you're the only Victor I haven't told yet. What do you think?"

Hyacinth shrugged. "Well, then I can't say anything. If he makes you happy, then that's fine with me. But that's one hell of a ring. Costs a pretty penny. What does he do for a living anyways?"  
Bluebell gulped. This was the part she'd been dreading the most. "Well...he's a janitor..." She stopped when Hyacinth laughed. "What?"

"There's no way a janitor could afford that! That better be one hell of a building he cleans-"  
"He's the janitor for the Justice Building."

The colour drained from Hyacinth's face. "What?"  
"He's not like that, he doesn't really care for-"  
"He's a Capitol sympathizer then!"

"No!" Bluebell frantically shook her head. "No, he doesn't care for the Capitol at all! It's just his job!"  
"How do you know that, Blue? How do you know you can trust him and he's not marrying your for-" Hyacinth gasped. "What if he's using to get close to the Victors!? So he can spy on us!?"  
"So...you're not coming to my wedding, then?" Bluebell's voice was barely above a whisper.

Hyacinth stopped talking. She folded her arms and sat there for a few minutes. "Fine. I'll go, but I know I won't like him."

* * *

 _District 12_

* * *

 _Bunting Mills, Victor of the 102nd Hunger Games_  
 _Henri Opechee, Victor of the 146th Hunger Games_

Before knocking on the door, Henri Opechee braced himself. He knew exactly what kind of scene awaited him. But still, he needed to check up on Bunting Mills and make sure the older Victor was okay. Because if he didn't do it, nobody else would.

So he knocked. When no response came, Henri just pushed the door open instead. Instantly, the smell of vomit overcame him and he instantly recoiled. Henri wanted to run back outside, where the air was fresher, but forced himself to continue on.

Eventually, eh was upstairs, standing right in front of a bedroom. The door was open, showing off the scene inside. Bunting lay sprawled across his bed. His right hand draped over the side, clutching onto a bottle of wine. A needle was sticking out of his left arm. His eyes were glazed over and judging by the stench omitting from his body, Bunting hadn't showered in a long time.

Henri retreated to the bathroom. He dumped the stopped in the tub, then began to run the water. Once it heated up and started filling the tub, he went back to Bunting's room and pried the wine bottle form his hands.  
Bunting gasped and sat up. The needle fell from his arm and onto the pillows. "You'll never take me alive, you bastard."

Henri glanced at himself in the floor-length mirror nearby. It was cold outside, so he was wearing a puffy white jacket, the exact same shade as a Peacekeeper's. Yeah, that was a mistake. "It's okay, it's just me. Henri."  
"Humph." Bunting sounds skeptical, but calmed down slightly.

Henri then gently lifted up Bunting and carried him to the tub, which was almost full of warm water. He considered helping the older man take off his dirty clothes, but the last time Henri had done that, Bunting took it the wrong way and put up a fight. Instead, he left some clean towels and a robe nearby, before waiting outside the bathroom as Bunting peeled off his wet clothes, ten cleaned himself up.

This wasn't the first time Henri had to act as Bunting's personal caretaker, and it wouldn't be the last. Although Henri liked to think positive, he wasn't sure he could do anything to help. Bunting was far too gone in the clutches of drugs and alcohol. Plus, Henri had his own family to look after. His parents had died a long time ago, leaving him with his three younger brothers, all of them Reaping age. Henri had to take care of them as well.

And then, he had to take care of himself.

Life was a busy affair for Henri and he was never allowed a break. Once he finished with Bunting, he would arrive home, where his brothers would crowd around him and ask for help. Then, he'd come back the next day to find Bunting in the exact same state. It was never-ending cycle, but Henri would put up with it until it broke, or he died.

That was the way things worked in 12.

* * *

 **And that's the rest of the Victors. So, who do you like? Who don't you like?**

 **Also, all submission, for both tributes and escorts, are due on NOVEMBER 6TH. If not all slots are filled in by then. Mars and I will fill them up ourselves. So, until the 6th, keep submitting!**

 **-Vr**


	5. A Talk at Home

_Apollonius "Apollo" Karaigme, 25_  
 _Head Gamemaker_

* * *

He was certainly a sight.

Apollo strutted down the street, keeping his gaze forward, with a straight back and fine posture. Although many Capitolites wanted to approach him, hoping to steal a secret about the upcoming Quarter Quell, Apollo's appearance drove them away.

He was a man of confidence.

He didn't exactly look like one. Apollo had spent quite a bit of money on alterations, dyeing his skin gold, painting his hair the same colours, and wearing the finest purple tunics. He wore a pair of earrings in the shape of little yellow crescent moons, a birthday gift from his sister. His eyes, the only body part he hadn't dyed, were a deep jade green.

Right now, he was knocking on the door of a small house in the suburbs of the Capitol, where most of the middle class lived. Here, the citizens never relied as much on alterations or dye or bright and vivid colours. Here, they led a simple, quiet life.

Sure enough, a pair of green eyes stared back at Apollo.

"Oh, my little baby boy!" Leto grinned and rushed forward, squeezing her son in a giant hug. "I'm so glad to see you again!"  
Apollo hugged his mother back. He hadn't seen her in a long time.  
"My, you've grown so tall! They must be feeding you well." Leto gave him a slight pinch. "But...did you get a sunburn?"  
"No, Mom. It's just body dye."

Leto pursed her lips together and frowned. "Well, come in anyways."  
Apollo made sure to take off his shoes at the door, just the way his mother had taught him. The little house didn't appear to have changed much. The dining room walls were a different colour, and the pictures above the fireplace seemed outdated, but it still felt cozy and welcoming. Like home.

Leto handed him a warm cup of coffee and a slice of chocolate loaf. She was well approaching her sixties, although she looked absolutely stunning for her age. She never did anything to give herself a younger appearance and her dirty blonde hair was lined with streaks of grey. Wrinkles had started appearing on her face. Yet, she still hadn't lost that old charm of hers. While many Capitolites thought old age was frowned upon, Apollo believed his mother was one of the people who looked more beautiful when they aged.

"So, tell me about your job," Leto said. "Being a Gamemaker is a huge responsibility, is it not?" She sat down in the armchair across from Apollo.  
"Well, being a Head Gamemaker is a crazy job sometimes. But you get used to it. And we've got this spectacular arena planned for the Quell."

"That's nice," Leto mused. "Have you heard from your sister lately?"  
"Um...she's an escort in District 3 now." Apollo smiled. He wondered why Artemis chose the job, though. She didn't seem to keen on becoming a Gamemaker, when the position was offered to her. She had her reason, but didn't share it with her twin brother. "You know why?"

Leto shrugged. "She told me...she didn't want to become too involved with the Games. I have a feeling she has a different reason, but we really shouldn't push her. My daughter has always been a bit more closed up than you, Apollonius, and that's perfectly okay."  
"I understand."

After a while, Apollo didn't know what to say. He sipped his coffee and ate his loaf. "So...Mom...what do you think of the Quarter Quell twist?"  
Leto hesitated. "I...I suppose...well, I...never really understood all the excitement surrounding a Quarter Quell."  
"Just say it, Mom. I won't accuse you of anything."

"I've never held these Quells in high regard. I just think...if we've been taught that the Hunger Games exist solely as a punishment towards their Districts for their crimes of rebellion and war, why must we tack on a special twist and celebrate it? It's as if we delight in punishing the districts, rather than remembering our past...all our culture seems to have forgotten the original intent...this all must sound like pure fiction to you, doesn't it?"

Apollo gave the words some thought. "I...I never looked at things that way. I guess you might be right."  
"Are you saying that just because I'm your mother?"  
"Perhaps."

Leto giggled. "You flatter me, sweetheart."  
"Aw Mom, I'm blushing!" APollo glanced at the grandfather clock in the hallway. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to get back to work. The Reapings in three months, and arena are always supposed to be done a week before that."

"I'll make sure I don't interfere with your work," Leto said, following her son to the door. "But if you ever need a break, you can come and visit any time."  
Slipping his shoes on, Apollo planted a kiss on his mother's cheeks as he stepped outside. There, he ran into a familiar face.

"Artemis?"

Apollo's twin sister glanced at him awkwardly. Unlike her brother, Artemis had never really altered her appearance much. The most she had done was place some silver streaks in her brown hair, and that was it. She wore a grey spring jacket, with a pair of black leggings and beat-up sneakers. Normally she had on contact lenses but today, she had donned her glasses instead.

"Arty!? Where have you been!? I haven't heard from you in so long! Oh, how's your escorting job coming along? It's gonna be real exciting, isn't it?"  
"It's okay..." Artemis said quietly.  
"Okay!? You're...you get to travel to the Districts; you represent the Capitol for them! This is a position only offered to twelve people and you're one of them! How crazy is that!?"

Artemis shrugged. She stared down at the ground. "I...it's nice to see you again, Apollo, but I have something urgent I need to talk about with Mom...alone...if you want...we can...we can go out for lunch someday. How does that sound?"  
Apollo grabbed Artemis in a hug, catching her off-guard. "Sounds great! I'll see you later, Arty! Take care!"

* * *

 **Another random prologue, but hey, Apollo needs a family!**

 **So, as of today, submissions are officially closed. Not sure how long it will take Mars and I to put together our tribute list and upload the next chapter, but we'll probably start with the Reapings. Chances are, if a certain slot hasn't been filled in for whatever reason, we will make a character to fill it in ourselves. Thank you to everyone who did send in a character; it means a lot to us.  
**

 **-Vr**


	6. District 1: Prideful Opportunities

**Trigger warning: this chapter contains a lot of transphobia, misgendering, and deadnaming. Please proceed with caution.**

* * *

 _Void Zachariah, 25_  
 _District 1 Male_

* * *

 _Three months before the Reaping_

It didn't surprise Void too much to see so many adults milling around the Train Centre. Some were just trainers, some were Victors, but most were here to relive their glory days. Many young men and women were training their little hearts out, in hopes of brushing up on their skills in time to volunteer for the Quarter Quell.

And Void was among them.

He was a bit horrified and worried about his odds...but intrigued at the same time. What if he volunteered...and won? He'd be rich! Then Nikia would stop complaining he never helped her out anymore and all he did was cheat.

Void chuckled to himself, winking at a teenager walking past him. She glared at him, before flashing up her middle finger. He just smiled and soon found himself at a bunch of targets. There, Devote McLaster had just finished a lesson with some younger kids, giving them pointers on how to properly throw knives. Upon seeing Void, she politely asked, "How may I help you, sir?"

"What time does the Training Centre close at?"  
"Seven." Devote folded her arms. "All adults are expected to leave what that happens."  
"So, Miss McLaster, you doing anything at eight?"

Devote huffed loudly and walked away.

Behind him, Void heard some girls giggling. He turned to see Angel Dahlia Peirre and Stella Bunsen, the Victors of the 135th and 137th Games. They had recently made waves when they had their honeymoon last year.  
"Real smooth," Angel snickered. "You know she's married, right?"  
"Yeah..." Void said. "I...I knew that."  
"Has a daughter too," Angel pointed out. "Also hates it when people call her 'miss' or any super feminine terms. She's agender."

"Right...I knew that..." Void strolled off, looking for something else to work with. He found an empty corner, where a few small circuits had been set up. Void grinned. Ever since Katarina Cashley's arena had been a giant computer lab, the trainers had started preparing tributes for some really extreme cases in which the typical weapons of choice would not be available. Void didn't mind. He knew quite a bit about electrical circuits. This was nothing but a refresher.

Void hummed to himself, remembering the days when he had taken all the electrical engineering courses District 1's schools had to offer. Sure, there wasn't much demand for something many associated with Three or Five, but Void made it work. His job as an electrical technician brought home a decent amount of money. Enough for him, Nikia, and their newborn child, who was due sometime in early fall.

But was it enough? Void wanted to provide the best for his new child. he had seen the sums of money victors liek Devote, Angel, and Stella had. If he was that rich...damn, he was going to make his family very happy.

Sitting down, Void tinkered around with the circuit box, looking for some similarities. He hadn't been in school in a long time. This wasn't too complicated and he recognized quite a few pieces. Void then plucked a screwdriver and open up the box, glancing at the insides. Most of which seemed familiar. A big box of stuff sat in front of him and he rummaged through it, looking for items to put together.

Suddenly, he noticed a crowd of noisy trainees at the bulletin board.

"What's happening?" Void asked.  
"It's the volunteers!" a 15 year-old girl yelled back. "They're announcing who gets to volunteer for the 150th Hunger Games!"

 _The volunteers._ Void quickly jumped to his feet and followed everyone else. He began to wonder who had been chosen for the female volunteer, and who was the poor sap that was destined to lose his volunteering position to Void Zachariah.

* * *

 _Ember Johnson, 18_  
 _District 1 Female_

* * *

 _Three months before the Reaping_

Ember grunted loudly as he swiped his hands at his opponent, but the trainer simply grabbed his wrists and pinned them down. He then kicked his legs up, hoping to knock the trainer down so she'd let go of him. As he did, the hard substance of her shin pads scraped against his leg. It felt uncomfortable.

Ember personally thought it was unfair the trainer got to wear a helmet, a visor, and pads for her chest, arms and knees, while all he got was a pair of cheap gloves, designed so he wouldn't injure his hands. He had no time to argue, though. He knocked the train on top of him, before hooking a hand behind her neck and holding her head in place. There, Ember attempted to punch the visor as the trainer struggled to get off him, before she finally gave up and he swung both of them over to the side, reversing their positions.

''Excellent job," the trainer said, yanking off her helmet. "I see an improvement, Johnson. Well done."  
"Thanks," Ember panted, trying to catch his breath.  
"Your form is lacking in some places, so we'll work on that tomorrow. But I know you're a real beast when it comes to spears and swords. Now, since they've just announced the volunteers, let's go see if you have what it takes to get the top spot."

Ember quickly dusted himself off. His shirt and binder had both rolled up during the simulation, so he quickly yanked them back down. Then, Ember joined the trainees who were eagerly merging into the crowd. Two new papers had been posted up. Did Ember make it in?

"Ember!" Zircon Carthridge called out. The 13 year-old excitedly bounced towards the older boy. "Have you seen? Have you seen?"  
"Not yet..." Ember was in the crowd now. There, he squirmed through, until he could read the lists on the board. Each announced the top 5 trainees for each gender, including the chosen volunteer. One of them was Prince McMassey, who was grinning off to the side. Ember was more interested in the other name.

 _Esmeralda Johnson._

Ember felt extremely giddy. He had done it, had secured his spot in the Hunger Games. Groups of girls around him were whispering, but he didn't care. He felt even better when Prince came up to him and shook his hand. They both smiled at each other. "Nice going, Johnson," Prince said. Ember blushed furiously.

Suddenly, he was shoved to the ground.

Ember tried to stand as quick as he could, the laughter booming in his ears. His dark brown eyes met the vibrant green ones of a blonde-haired girl and her friends...he recognized them...the same girls...who taunted Amber so many years ago...they were now taunting him...laughing at him...

"Esmeralda, huh?" one said. "You don't like an Esmeralda...or a girl anyways."  
"I..." Ember blushed again.  
"Hey!" Zircon snapped. "Ember's not a girl!"

That got another round of laughter. Ember's arms wrapped themselves around his chest and he began to walk away. He could hear the taunts ringing in his ears, Zircon desperately calling for him to wait up. A wave of dysphoria washed over him, Salty tears stung his eyes and blurred up his vision, causing him to almost trip over a mace carelessly left on the ground.

Some days, he was proud to be himself. Other days, he simply wanted to shrivel up and vanish. As much as he tried to convince himself he was happy with who he was, happy with expressing his true identity, there was always someone to knock him down. It was as if the trainer was back on top of him. Except Ember couldn't get rid of her.

* * *

 _Void Zachariah, 25_  
 _District 1 Male_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

Void just let out a loud groan as he rolled over in the small bed, pushing at the girl beside him. She giggled, then sat up. "Good morning."  
"Mmm...good morning, babe. Sleep well?"  
"Oh yes, I did. Now get out."

Void's shirt hit him in the face. He chuckled, then quickly slipped into his clothing and out the door. A light breeze swept across the district, cooling the morning air to a rather delightful temperature. Void got home at around 7 in the morning, where his girlfriend was waiting for him at the door.  
"Honey!" Nikia gushed in an extremely sweet tone, throwing her arms around her boyfriend. "Oh, glad to see you home! Must've been a late night working, huh?"

"Yep!" Void lied. "And how are you doing?"  
"Oh, I was doing wonderful...until one of your coworkers showed up and said that he needed you to cover a shift, with no recollection of you ever showing up for work!" Nikia's voice started to rise and she slapped Void across the face.

"Ow!" Void's cheeks stung. "Babe, are you alright? Is it the mood swings? How about you go rest while I make breakfast?"  
"I'm fine!" Nikia yelled. She folded her arms. "I'm just pissed that you're going off again and cheating behind my back!"

"I'm not...I wasn't-"  
"We have a child on the way, Void! A child! You are going to become a father, yet how can I trust you!? How can I be sure that you'll give our newborn child the love and protection they need to grow when you can't even stay in our house for one night!? How do you know I'll be there for them!? How do I know a child is something we both want!?"

Void gently placed a hand on Nikia's stomach. "Baby...I'll make you a promise...when our child comes...I'll be there. For both of you. This is something that I want as much as you do and I'm going to try my hardest to be the best father I can. I know I've made a lot of mistakes recently, but I'm going to put in effort to change my ways. I promise."  
Nikia's gaze softened, but she still wans't happy.

"You promise, Void?"  
"Promise."

Void gently wrapped Nikia into a hug. "Promise..." he whispered into her ear. He could feel her pregnant stomach against him, and his thoughts drifted to his future son or daughter inside. Nikia was right, what kind of father was he if all he did was cheat? When he got out of the Hunger Games, with all the money that came with it, he was going to make he was present in this child's life. They were going to have a good life.

"Good. Now, the Reaping is in a few hours, and I have to pick a dress that doesn't make me look any worse than I already do."  
Void grinned, following Nikia into the bedroom. "I can help with that."

* * *

 _Ember Johnson, 18_  
 _District 1 "Female"_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

Breakfast was very quiet in the Johnson household. It always was. Only Ember and his mother, Yvonne, were home. Ember's father had already left for a meeting with the mayor and his older brother moved out a while ago. Bronze Johnson currently lived with his girlfriend, Florentine, and they were planning on getting married next spring.

Ember took careful bites of his eggs. The runny yolk split and poured all over his plate. He was also keeping an eye on the time, hoping to get down to the Training Centre for some last-minute pointers. Ember knew that with the Games, he was going to need every last tip he could get.

Eventually, he was finished breakfast, kissed his mother goodbye, and began jogging down towards his Training Centre. His light brown hair had been pulled into a ponytail and was bouncing from one shoulder to another. For the longest time, Ember had considered get it cut...but he liked having long hair. He liked it when Yvonne would braid it for him, or use the curling iron.

At the Training Centre, Zircon approached him yet again. The younger boy was fascinated with Ember for whatever reason. "Hey Ember! You're volunteering today, right?"  
"Of course." Why wouldn't he?  
"Great! I have no doubt you'll win and I'm gonna convince my parents to sponsor you! But if they don't, I'll sponsor you myself!"

Ember laughed. "Thanks, Zircon, but you don't have to waste your money on me."  
"Ember...can I ask you something?"  
"Um...yeah. What's up?"

Zircon's cheerful mood was gone. "I want to ask you about my sister. Do you know why my sister...do you know why she did what she did? I tried asking Mom and Dad, but they refused to answer me and said it had something to do with you..."

Ember knew what Zircon was talking about. And he wondered why, despite the incident, Zircon always kept bouncing back to him. Him, the one behind it. Him, the one who thought he was going to fit in with all the popular girls, but was too stupid too understand he was the one pushing Amber over the edge...him, who she thought she could trust and be herself around.

Him, who bullied and insulted her for who she was, only to find himself on the receiving end of the bullying and insults for the exact same thing.

"I...it's hard to explain, Zircon. I'll tell you when I get back, okay?"  
"Okay!" Zircon smiled again. "Anyways, break a leg in the arena! Actually, don't break a leg! I mean...you get what I'm trying to say!"

Ember grinned and nodded. But he couldn't ignore the pit on his stomach. He was now thinking of Amber. Amber, the one true friend he had and pushed away. Amber, who stood up for what she believed in. Amber, who would be so happy to see who he was now and would always support him, even though he couldn't support her.

And if she saw him now...wouldn't she be proud.

* * *

 _Spectacle Stafford, 43_  
 _District 1 Escort_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

Spectacle was clutching a pink ceramic heart covered in glitter when she arrived in District 1's Justice Building. It was a gift from her youngest daughter, Glamorous. Spectacle smiled to herself, thinking about her daughter, her three sons, and her husband. Wouldn't they be excited to see her standing in District 1!

This wasn't Spectacle's first year as an escort; she had been in the business for a long time now. But after Chelsea Odair won the previous Games, Spectacle found herself bumped up to 1 with Aquamarine Lockhart taking over in District 4 instead. She didn't mind; she thought Aquamarine deserved the opportunity. She would miss 4, but she had always dreamed of escorting for 1 someday.

Now, she finally had that chance.

Spectacle tucked the heart into her blazer pocket and smoothed back her violet bob cut. The doors of the Justice Building were opened and she found Devote McLaster and Leroy Michowitz standing across from her.

"It's a wonderful opportunity to meet you both," Spectacle said politely, as she offered to her hand to Devote. That's when she noticed an 8 year-old girl peeking out from behind the Victor. "Oh my, who is this? A future Victor, I presume?"  
Devote chuckled and hugged the girl closer. "This is my daughter, Jade. Jade, say hi to Mrs. Stafford."

The girl muttered greetings, then buried her face into Devote's legs. The Victor and the escort laughed, while Leroy just seemed annoyed. He broke away from the group and began to pace back and forth. "I hope we took enough precautions, Devote. you can never strategize enough for a Quell and I am not about to let some outlier scum like Peter Vermont steal the glory from us again."

Devote rolled her eyes. "It's been 25 years, Leroy. Give it a break!"  
Leroy's grey eyes narrowed. "District 1 has a reputation to uphold! Haven't you noticed that nobody ever takes us seriously!? This is another year, another chance, to restore ourselves, to bring back a Victor, and I'm glad you think it's no big deal!"

Devote simply walked off, tugging Jade along with her. Spectacle followed them, leaving Leroy behind, cursing under his breath. So far, her first year in 1 was not going as planned. Spectacle was hoping to earn some respect from the Victors, not stand in the sidelines as they argued. But no big deal. She had worked in 6 for three years and that was even worse. Spencer and Junpei never got along.

Spectacle just had to keep her head up, her mind open, and her heart full of hope for the future. If she could babysit District 6's two Victors and manage a pair of tributes at the same time, then she could most certainly handle a little bit of tension. And Leroy Michowitz had always been an unpredictable guy.

The Reaping went off without a hitch. The procedure was he exact same as 4, with the dated video playing, the mayor reading the Treaty of Treason, and the introduction of the Victors. Devote waved to Jade, who was jumping up and down in the sidelines with her father.

Then, Spectacle grandly stepped onto the stage. She had been very careful in picking out her outfit, going for a silver blazer over a violet skirt that matched her hair. She wasn't wearing any jewellery today, only her wedding ring. And Glamour's heart was safely in her pocket.

Spectacle basked in the cheers of the crowd. "Hello District 1!" she shouted, and everyone started to cheer. Finally, Spectacle made her way to one of the giant glass balls, containing the names of every eligible girl. "Now...let's see who our lucky lady shall be...Violetta Marino!"

The name belonged to a woman standing among the 20 year-olds. She walked up to the stage and waited patiently. Sure enough, a teenager shoved her way up to the stage, waving her hands over her head. "I volunteer!"

Devote clapped with everyone else, while Leroy gave a satisfied nod and folded his arms. Spectacle was confused. The girl...well...she didn't look an awful lot like a girl. She had light brown hair with blonde highlights that was pulled into a sleek ponytail. She was wearing a red hoodie over a pair of black jogging pants. Her form was lacking and the deepness of her voice sounded rather forced. Yet, she marched up the steps of the stage with passion and confidence, as if she'd challenge anybody who dared to take this spot from her.

"Hey there...your name is?"  
"I'm...Em...Johnson. Esmeralda...Johnson." The tribute's strained voice was quiet now and Spectacle's microphone barely caught what she had said. Spectacle simply nodded and decided not to press any further. Instead, she pulled a slip of paper from the other glass ball. "Gallium Smith!"

Spectacle was expecting a volunteer, but she suddenly heard a clashing of voices. Two people, a teenage boy and a man, were shoving one another to the side as they both ran towards the escort. Eventually, the man got the upper hand and punched the boy in the jaw. He collapsed almost immediately, groaning in pain.

The man standing next to Spectacle had short black hair that stood straight up on his head. His eyes were a bright blue. He then reached up to pluck the microphone from Spectacle, grabbing and kissing her hand in the process. "My name is Void Zachariah and I have every intention of becoming District 1's next Victor."

"Of course, dear," Spectacle muttered, trying to ignore the whispers from the Victors behind her. "District 1, I present you your tributes. Tributes, please shake hands."  
As the Anthem began to play over the loudspeakers, a commotion broke out. Spectacle quickly glanced over her shoulder.

Leroy Michowitz tossed his chair off the stage, then stormed into the Justice Building.

* * *

 **Here we go, first Reapings! And yes, we've got the tribute list ready! Thank you to everyone who submitted and while we tried our damn hardest to fit 24 submissions into 16 spots, not all tributes made it in. We did try and work out a diverse cast. And not every tribute made it into their top spot choice, so read carefully!**

D1M: Void Zachariah, 25 ( 20)  
D1F: Ember Johnson, 18 (Vr)

D2M: Julius Foster, 13 (Author-Hime)  
D2F: Aurora Xu, 18 (axe smelling god)

D3M: Palatino Clear, 12 (AmericanPi)  
D3F: Hera Myrana, 24 (Mars)

D4M: Alexander "Alec" Thorngrove, 18 (Mars)  
D4F: Rosemary "Rosy" Ivring, 19 ( )

D5M: Aldair Indria, 25 ( 20)  
D5F: Amperia Fremont, 22 (2017tnt)

D6M: Ezra Kiskov, 19 (notthebrave)  
D6F: Deloris Malin, 14 (EllaRoseEverdeen)

D7M: Arawn Falconer, 24 (Sparky She-Demon)  
D7F: Grey Hemlock, 23 (Author-Hime)

D8M: DJ Verona, 16 (Vr)  
D8F: Rachel Verona, 16 (Vr)

D9M: Jonathan Firre, 12 (TheAmzingJAJ)  
D9F: Autumn Farro, 15 ( )

D10M: Ace McCree, 15 (Vr)  
D10F: Merona Verona, 12 (yyvonnnee)

D11M: Synthize "Synth" Greene, 20 (Mars)  
D11F: Elana Briar, 21 (Necklace of Rope)

D12M: Powder Riddell, 14 (2017tnt)  
D12F: Jennifer "Jenny" Gaewick, 13 (Mars)

* * *

 **The list is now up on my profile, along with mentors and escorts. If you want to make any changes to your tribute for whatever reason, or want to know why a certain tribute of yours was no selected, PM me and I'll let you know.**

 **We're really excited to finally get this off the ground and I hope you guys are too! We'll see you again when we upload the District 2 Reaping!**

 **-Vr**


	7. District 2: You Wanted The Best

**Quick reminder from Vr:**

 **I do know exactly which tributes belong to who. I transferred the list over from a document on Google Drive and several names were cut out in the process. I apologize for that error, and if you want to PM me to confirm that you are the submitter of a certain tribute, that's fine. Just remember I have all submitters written out on the forms. The full list is on my profile, with submitters, mentors and escorts.**

* * *

 _Aurora Xu, 18_  
 _District 2 Female_

* * *

 _Two months before the Reaping_

Dinners in the Xu household were always quiet.

Aurora kept her head down, pretending to be more interested in the steak on her plate then anything else in the room. However, the silence was starting to get really unbearable and she needed to do something to break it. Anything. She never liked it when everyone else just simply stopped talking.  
Pretending to be reaching for the dish of mashed potatoes, she dragged her arm across the table and knocked over her fork. It made a clattering sound when it hit the tiled floors.

Both of Aurora's parents, as well as her older sister, Celeste, looked up and glared at her.  
"Aurora," her father said said quietly. "Please pick that up."

Aurora did as she was told, throwing the fork into the sink afterwards. The sound it made was even louder then before and echoed softly throughout the kitchen. Her mother sighed. Celeste rolled her eyes. Her father just shook his head.  
"Next time, could you do without the attitude, young lady?"

 _I'll show you attitude,_ Aurora thought, but decided to just sit down and continue with her meal. She had to admit, her throw was rather impressive. She didn't really think the fork would land in the sink, but the shot was proof that years of Academy training were always paying off. A small grin crept onto her face.

Aurora's mother spoke up. "You really ought to listen to your father, dear. While we are very proud of her for earning the top volunteer spot for a Quarter Quell, you still have plenty to learn. There's still lots of time to perfect your skills and be you very best."

"And to mature and learn to respect your elders," Mr. Xu added. Acting as childish as you are right now is going to get you nowhere in life."  
Like she hadn't heard this all before. Aurora glanced over at her sister, but Celeste was just staring back at her, arms folded across the table. "Fine. May I be excused?"

Her parents exchanged glance,s before her father nodded. "You are excu-"

Aurora dashed upstairs and into her room, slamming the door shut behind her.  
She lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. The Sun was starting to set, casting its orange and red and pink glows through her bedroom window. Aurora didn't care.

For as long as she could remember, it had always been this way. Getting chewed out by her parents, constantly bombarded with reminders to act responsibly and mature had caused her to just...well...wear down. Too tired, too numb, to act mature and responsible, or to act, anyways. The only time she'd get some sort of feeling was when she trained. Both her mother and sister were trainers, so they always expected their knowledge to rub off her.

When it came to training, Aurora felt alive. Now, she was just bored.

* * *

 _Julius Foster, 13_  
 _District 2 Male_

* * *

 _One week before the Reaping_

Julius was drenched when he came home from the Academy.

It had been raining for a while and he didn't think of bringing an umbrella. He didn't really expect anybody to be home, so it surprised him to see an assortment of hastily crafted weapons on the table and his brother standing over them.  
"What's all this?"

Octavius, one of Julius's three older brothers, dropped down a few more weapons. He currently worked as an apprentice for a blacksmith. "Dad said he knew a guy who could take all my rejects and turn into scraps, so be reused. Hope you don't mind that I let myself in."  
Julius poked through the weapons. He quickly pulled out a small knife that seemed to be in good shape, if it wasn't for the fact that the handle was twisted and the blade was slightly chipped.

"Hey!" Octavius yanked the knife away. "Careful, Jules! These ain't toys! These can seriously cut you if you're not careful."  
Julius folded his arms and scowled. "I am very careful! I'm the best at throwing knives for my age! And I'm gonna volunteer someday, too! You can bet on your pieces of metallic junk that I will!"

Octavius just chuckled and ruffled his bother's hair, causing Julius to scowl even more. "You're fun, Jules. But yeah, you'd make a fine volunteer! Like Commodus."  
"What's so cool about Commodus, anyways? He's only popular because he's volunteering in a Quell year! Other than that, he's a jerkbag!"  
"Watch your mouth. You know Mom doesn't like swearing. And Commodus is a good friend of mine..."

Julius rolled his eyes. Like he never heard that before. Ever since the volunteers had been announced, his parents were extremely excited that a friend of their son was chosen. Octavius this. Tiberius that. Caesar this. What perfect little sons who led perfect little lives and were just...perfect. That was all his parents cared about.

But did anybody care about Julius?

"Well, I still think he's a jerkbag."  
"That's cute, Jules."  
"Don't call me cute! I hate being cute! Don't call me Jules either; I'm not a little kid!"

Octavius rolled his patted his younger brother on the shoulder. "What you say, Jules."  
Julius scowled. "I told you not to call me-"  
"Yeah, yeah."

Octavius ruffled his hair again. Julius's scowl grew bigger as he shoved his brother away and stomped upstairs to his room.

* * *

 _Aurora Xu, 18_  
 _District 2 Female_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

As she picked at her food, Aurora watched her father quickly grab a piece of toast, before kissing his wife goodbye and heading out the door. Sabinus Xu had been a politician ever since Galahad Wessley won the 130th Hunger Games and was currently serving a second term as mayor. So during the daytime, Aurora didn't see him an awful lot.

"Aurora! Hurry up and eat! We're leaving for the Training Centre in twenty minutes!"  
Aurora shoveled down the last of her food, before following her mother and sister out the door. The Training Centre was just a few blocks away and once the family arrived, they all split up.

Aurora picked through a rack of throwing stars, searching for the best ones. She made her way to a few dummies that had been set up for training. One by one, the throwing stars were implanted into chests, faces, stomachs, and even throats. Just like she had been taught. Aurora knew to go for the more fatal areas so she wouldn't end up wasting several throwing stars on a single target. Plus, she was more likely to kill a tribute with a single blow, instead of leaving them to die. Aurora was a Career; she was gonna kill, but she wasn't gonna torture a tribute for the fun of it.

"What are you doing? Don't just stand there! Come on, keep going!"  
Aurora jumped, upon hearing her sister's voice behind her. Celeste stood a couple feet away, arms crossed. "There's still plenty of time to keep training. Make sure you work on your aim."

"I know." Aurora grabbed a dummy and began yanking the stars from it. "I was just taking a break."  
"You don't get breaks in the Hunger Games. The arena waits for nobody."

Celeste strolled off. Aurora gritted her teeth. She had a few faint memories of playing around with Celeste when they were younger. Stomping in mud and rain puddles. Swinging swords at each other before getting yelled at by the trainers. Celeste teaching her how to improve her aim. But ever since she became a trainer, her sister felt more distant than usual. It was really taking a toll on Aurora. She wasn't sleeping as much. She was constantly worrying about her aim and whether or not she was good enough.

Once Aurora won the Games, things would be different. She'd live by herself in Victor's Village, free of her mother and father's constant criticisms. She'd find a way to reconnect with Celeste and repair their relationship. She would never have to worry about being the best because she would define for herself what her best was. She'd make a life for herself and only herself. Nobody could tell her what to do or how to act.

Yes, once she won, things would change. For the better.

Aurora threw a star. It slammer right across the dummy's face, the tip embedded in the eye.

* * *

 _Julius Foster, 13_  
 _District 2 Male_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

"Do you need any help, Jules?"  
Julius shook his head, then lobbed the throwing knife through the air. It landed in a dummy's forearm. "No thanks. I can take care of myself."

Caesar, the second youngest of the Foster boys, just shrugged. "Okay. Suit yourself."  
Julius continued with his training, until his best friend ran up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey Julius! Guess what?"

"Huh? Aquila, what did you do?"  
"I didn't do anything!" Aquila giggled as she ducked behind Julius. "They can't prove it was me who slipped laxatives into Commodus's protein shakes."

The two friends glanced over at the Training Centre bathrooms, just in time to see a red-faced Commodus stumble out. A few other trainees giggled and Commodus glared at them. It was hard to believe he'd be volunteering in just a few hours.

Julius was shocked. "I don't know what's more impressive; the fact that you did it, or got away with it. Nike's gonna be pissed."  
Aquila pouted. "But it was fun!"  
"Okay, it was."

Aquila grabbed the knife that Julius was holding. "Well, in that case, he's in no shape to volunteer. Julius! What if you volunteered instead?"  
"What!? You're kidding!"  
"Maybe..."

"I'm only 13!" Julius snatched his knife back, then threw it at the dummy's stomach.  
"But you're in the top 10 for your age. And you're great at knives."

Julius picked up a third knife. He glanced at his reflection in the blade. "You're right. I am good at knives. And if I win, it would prove to Mom and Dad that I am way better than Tiberius, or Octavius, or Caesar! I mean, sure they're successful at something, but they're not Victors."

Aquila punched his arm. "That's the spirit. Now, if you're as good with knives as you say you are, then show me!"

* * *

 _Sariah Tavain, 60_  
 _District 2 Escort_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

"You're late," Nike Papadopoulos said.

Sariah flipped and end of their bear-fur scarf over their shoulder. "Fashionably late, my dear. I know no other way."  
"Well, I hope you're smarter than you look, but in case you're too dumb to notice, we have a Reaping to take care of."

Sariah tried not to let it show, but they felt a little hurt at Nike's insult. They had been working District 2 for quite a few years now and wanted all the Victors to like them. They were also really excited to show off their new scarf, which had just been bought yesterday. It made quite a statement with their shiny, silver cocktails dress and three-inch heels. Sariah had also put a bit of gel in their hair to give it a shine.

"How do you walk in those shoes?" Slate asked.  
"Practice, dear. Plenty of practice. And lots of bruised legs to prove it."  
"Well, can you hurry up!?" Nike asked. "The Reaping starts in five minutes!"

"It was nice to you to wait, though." Sariah tried to cover up with a witty remark. "You wanted the best, you got the best. Me!"  
Slate giggled, before quickly covering it up with a cough.

Sariah knew how District 2 proceeded with the Reaping. They waited patiently throughout the procedure. Once the Victors were called up, they knew it would soon be their turn on the stage.  
Plenty of cheers erupted when Slate made his appearance; after all, he was District 2's most recent Victor. But the atmosphere was also full of hope. District 2 had gone five years without another Victor and many believed that the Quell would be a chance to turn that around.

And just like always, the crowd was full of applause when Sariah stepped onstage, waving politely. They took their scarf and slowly rubbed it across their neck, hoping to draw some attention to the latest accessory. Nike loudly cleared her throat, signaling that Sariah was just wasting time and needed to draw the names already.

Sariah slowly drew a slip from the first glass ball. "Here we go, our female tribute. And her name is, Juno Gareavi!"  
"I volunteer!"

Sariah wasn't the least bit surprised to see the teenager running to the stage. Her black hair, long and straight, was flying behind her and she had almond-shaped eyes that were a pretty shade of brown. Her shoulders were quite toned, an obvious sign of her years of Academy training. Sariah noticed she had quite the resemblance to District 2's mayor.

"My name is Aurora Xu," the girl said in a formal tone. Yep, definitely the mayor's daughter.

"A warm welcome to you, Aurora." Sariah was currently distracted with grabbing a second slip, almost knocking the glass over in the process. Finally, they held the paper in their hands. "Now go stand over there. Our male tribute is, Attila Seymour!"  
A high-pitched voice rose from the back of the crowd. "I volunteer!"  
"No, I volunteer!"

 _Two volunteers?_ Sariah glanced behind at the row of Victors. Many of them were exchanging glances. The Jhett twins whispered quietly. A worried Slate was shaking slightly and had his hands over his eyes and Nike looked rather indifferent. The only sign of her displeasure was the way her lips were pursed together.

The two boys were arguing now, shoving each other out of the way as they tried to claim their spot on the stage. The younger one was a lot more agile. He stuck his leg out and tripped his opponent, who Sariah assumed was the chosen volunteer, before sprinting up the steps to the stage. "I'm Julius Foster and I'm volunteering!"

Julius was a squirt around 13 or 14 years. His hair sat as a mop of dark brown curls on top of his head and his eyes were also brown (but a monotone, boring brown, according to Sariah). He had a beauty mark on his face and was starting to show a few muscles from training.

Sariah frowned. "Okay...tributes, shake hands."  
They were still grimacing as the Anthem started to play and the tributes were led inside the Justice Building by Peacekeepers. The crowd began to disperse and Slate motioned for Sariah to join him and Nike.

"I'm gonna snap that little brat's neck," Nike hissed. "This wasn't supposed to happen! We had chosen the top of the crop, the best! We had everything planned out! We can't afford to lose! District 2 really needs this victory!"  
Slate awkwardly folded his arms across his chest. "It's too late now. We have to make do with what...no, _who_ we have."

Sariah didn't say anything. The situation was clear. As much as Nike and Slate wanted to bring home a Victor, they both seemed aware that it was very unlikely Julius was going to survive. The feeling of hope, of belief was gone. District 2 was going to fail.

What would they do now?

* * *

 **Looks like the Quell is throwing a wrench into everyone's plans! This year's Career pack is gonna be fun.  
**

 **It took me a while to get this chapter out simply because I was having a harder time getting a feel for this pair of tributes (and then, just as I was finishing up, I lost power and a good chunk of my progress got deleted). But I hope I did a good job and that you guys like these characters. I'll see you all in District 11!**

 **-Vr**


	8. District 11: Family Matters

**Trigger warning: Themes of suicidal thoughts mentioned in Elana's first POV. Please proceed with caution.**

* * *

 _Synthize "Synth" Greene, 20_  
 _District 11 Male_

* * *

 _3 weeks before the Reaping_

Synth wasn't too surprised to see his mother in the kitchen when he woke up. Both he and his parents were early risers, as was pretty much anybody who worked in the fields. Shifts were long and harsh and the fines were too hefty for him to be tardy.

"Hey Mom," Synth whispered as he slipped behind his mother and gave her a hug. Cordelia Greene just sighed as she pressed against her son's arms, hovering in place for a few seconds before she handed him a plate of cold eggs. "Good morning, Synthize. I didn't expect you'd be up already."  
"Has Dad left yet?"  
"He made everyone eggs before he went out, just a few minutes ago. Here. Eat these before they get even colder."

Synth grabbed a fork from the drawer and poked through his food. Cordelia set out the remaining eggs for the rest of her children. "There was a fire in the corn fields last night."  
"Really? Did anybody get hurt?"  
"Nobody's dumb enough to be outside so late. We're lucky it wasn't in the daytime. But Peacekeepers are investigating and all the crops are burnt down, so you don't have to work for a few days."

Synth thought of the cornfields, where he and the other young men who had backs to spare, spent their days plucking the corn stalks to be shipped off to the Capitol. Obviously the food wasn't for them. Although he wouldn't be earning any sort of money just sitting at home, a few days off from work sounded great.  
Cordelia had to leave, so Synth gave her a kiss on the cheek, then headed into the next room to wake his siblings. Mylissa and Reece trudged off to the bathroom, but Konnor was slower.

Synth picked up the younger boy, scooping him tightly in his arms, before setting him down in his wheelchair, a huge expense for the Greenes. "Morning, Konnor. Sleep well?"  
"I think I hit my head on the bedpost last night."  
"Well, be careful next time." Synth opened the door and Konnor wheeled himself towards the kitchen. Their sisters were already scarfing down breakfast.

Konnor wheeled over to the opposite of the table and dug in. Synth collected the dirty dishes left behind by his siblings, then dumped them in the sink. Behind him, eager little Reece was trying to drag Mylissa out the door. Konnor was watching them enviously.  
"Synth!" Reece yelled. "Can we go outside?"  
Synth glanced through the window next to the kitchen. "Okay. But please make sure you're both back in time for lunch."

Reece squealed and pulled her sister outside. Synth noticed that Konnor was right next to the door, staring outside. "Konnor, you can join them if you want."  
"Synth, can you come with me?"  
"I need to make lunch."

Konnor folded his hands in his lap. "Whenever I go out by myself, the other kids pick on me. But if you're there...maybe they'll leave me alone...you don't have to come if you don't want to."

"Oh, alright." Synth was not about to let anyone pick on his little brother. He grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and pushed Konnor out the door. "Let's go then. You show me those kids who are making fun of you. And I guarantee, they'll never mess with any of my little siblings again."

* * *

 _Elana Briar, 21_  
 _District 11 Female_

* * *

 _6 months before the Reaping_

God, he looked so tiny.

Elana shivered, staring down at the little casket in front of her. It was so cold, she thought her tears were going to freeze on her face. She felt her grandmother's hand on her shoulder, but Calla Briar felt so far away. Elana was alone, all by herself, with the dead body of the boy she brought into this world.  
What had she done to deserve this? To deserve fate's cruel hands tearing her apart from her son? Despite Carver being right there, in front of her, she knew they were separated.

Separated by the realms of life and death.

A sudden urge came over Elana. The urge to simply end it all, end herself, just so she could be with him again. What was stopping her? She had nothing left. Her parents didn't want her ever since they found out she was pregnant, Ellery wasn't going to claim responsibility for his own child. She could just die right now, and nobody would care enough to bury her.

Footsteps echoed through the snowy graveyard. Elana's two friends, Ewan, and Livia, had arrived. Their faces became twin masks of shocks when they saw Carver lying there.  
"I'm...so sorry, Elana," Ewan muttered, gently placing a hand on her back. His touch was a bit warmer than Elana was expecting. It felt comforting, but was doing nothing to replace the part of her heart that had been completely ripped out.

Livia, Ewan's younger sister, offered Elana a sad smile. Elana turned away; how would she ever be able to smile again? How would she ever see the light of a sunny day or the rainbow after a thunderstorm? How would life offer her anything but sadness and despair.  
"It's okay..." Livia's hand reached out, lingering at Elana's side. "You took care of him. You gave him the best life he could possibly have. You're a good mother."

Elana shook her head, blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay. "I'm not...no, I'm not. I couldn't even keep him alive..."  
"It was a lung disease. Elana, you had no way of knowing-"

"I'm a horrible mother!" Elana dropped her head in her hands. "Horrible! I couldn't take care of him! I knew he was sick and I did nothing for him! Carver deserves better! Better! He didn't deserve to die so young...I let him die! What the hell is wrong with me!?"

Livia pulled Elana into a tight hug. Calla joined in. Ewan wrapped his arms around the three women.  
"It's alright," they whispered. "You'll be alright. You have us."

She would be okay. She still had people who cared for her.

Elana didn't want anyone to go. She wanted to stay in the circle of embraces as she watched snow fill up tiny Carver's grave.

 _You're going to be alright._

Elana didn't know if she would ever be alright again.

* * *

 _Synthize "Synth" Greene, 20_  
 _District 11 Male_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

Baths were a huge luxury in a District like 11, so Synth wanted to spend as much time in the tub as possible.

The water was starting to get cold, and he could hear his mother knocking on the door, so Synth quickly drained the little tub, then stepped out. He grabbed a nearby towel and dried himself off as he made his way to his room to change. He slipped into a clean shirt and a new pair of pants, which his parents bought him for his birthday. Synth tried to run a comb through his hair, but it was too curly and thick. Instead, he patted it down with water. The curls sprang back up again.

Most of his family members were eating breakfast. Synth noticed his mother was absent, but he heard water rushing from the bathroom, so he figured she had taken his place in the tub. He greeted his dad, patted his sisters on the head, ruffled Konnor's hair, then sat down to eat.

Konnor was scarring down his food; he finished before anyone else. "Dad, do you mind if I go out this morning?"  
"What for?" Hyacinth Greene asked.  
"I'm meeting up with a friend. You know Chive Monroe? The overseer's son?"

Synth and his father exchanged glances. Hyacinth cleared his throat. "Well, I don't see a problem with it. Just don't spend too long outside, alright? And come back before lunch."  
This was news to Synth. Whenever he went outside with Konnor, he did try to remind his brother to make friends with other kids, kids that were accepting of him. But Konnor had always been so clingy. Even when Synth wasn't with him, Konnor had a tendency to follow his sisters around, which Reece always complained about. Seeing Konnor slowly but surely growing into an independent person...Synth didn't know how to put it in words.

"My little boy might not be so little anymore," Hyacinth said as he and Synth cleared the table after breakfast.  
"Dad, he's reverting to his old ways. How he was before the whole accident."  
"I can see that. And I think it's good. Konnor...he's a fragile boy, Synthize. We didn't realize that until the accident. He was so worried about being accepted and losing his friends...but things are getting better for him. He's gaining independence, not hiding behind his family-"

"One step at a time Dad," Synth reminded him.  
"Of course. Now, is your mother out of the tub yet? I still need my turn!"

Synth chuckled. "Might be a while. I'm gonna start lunch. What do we have in the cupboards?"

* * *

 _Elana Briar, 21_  
 _District 11 Female_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

As Calla brought her another basket of herbs, Elana sorted them into jars before placing them into the cupboards. The task was taking quite a bit of time, because they were so many herbs and Elana wasn't always sure what was what, but they eventually finished and moved on to something else: Lunch.

While Calla was preparing a broth, Elana flipped through one of her medical books. As someone who used to be the apprentice of the apothecary before opening up her own shop, Calla owned a lot of useful materials that explained the uses of various plants, how to teat all sorts of ailments, and recipes for homemade cures. Lately, Elana had been finding this stuff fascinating and she loved acting as her grandmother's apprentice.

Besides, it kept her mind off other things.

Working as a healer meant that Elana was often busy. But being busy was good. Busy meant that she could only focus on the task at hand, keeping her sadness and all other feelings at bay. Busy meant she had no spare time to feel sorry for herself and consider ending it all. Busy was a way of healing, of mending. And Elana hoped, that if she ever had another child, she would know the remedies to keep them alive. They would never die, under her care.  
Sure, there were still the days when she's sink into a wave of depression, lying on her bed surrounding by her own grief and tears. When she would trace the veins on her hands, wondering if she could cut them open so she'd bleed out and be free from all her sorrows. But not today. No, she was actually in a good mood today. Even if she still had to attend the stupid Reaping.

Elana saw nothing good about the twist, or the Games. As someone who personally lost a child, she knew the heartache it caused with the way it ripped children from their parents and painted the television screens with their blood. Sure, she was scared of them as a kid. Now, she only felt hatred.

"Do they realize the kind of people they are sentencing to death?" Elana asked her grandmother over steaming bowls of broth. "These adults have ambitions. Careers. Some of them even have families. Now, they fight against kids who will never grow up to be like them."  
"If they haven't cared in the past, what gives them a reason to care now?" Calla sighed. "It's just another twist for their entertainment."

Elana chased a floating herb in her bowl with her spoon. "I suppose you're right."

Elana now wondered what would've happened in Carver was old enough for the Games. Would he make it through unharmed? Or would she suffer the pain of watching her only son getting his throat slit by a Career for all of Panem to see? Just so the Capitol could have something to call entertainment?  
Calla tapped her on the shoulder. "Well, we better get going. Don't want to be late."

* * *

 _Adelaide de la Legendre Beaumont, 19_  
 _District 11 Escort_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

Out of all the districts Adelaide could've ended up in...it had to be this one.

Things could be worse, of course. She could be that poor sap Louisiana Tenor, who was escorting for 12. But 12 had brought a Victor home in recent years. 11 was really slacking. Did Adelaide, perfect, perky, pretty little Adelaide, really belong _here_? In this filthy, filthy place?

Her outfit for the day felt like a waste. Adelaide had put on, a shiny, sleek, silver one-piece with a bubblegum pink leotard. The colours were much too bright for such a drab district. Even the victors, who could actually afford decent clothing, wore simple shirts and pants. Wedelia Merell, District 11's most recent Victor and the tribute who won the 140th Games, had on a blue spring jacket. Ever since competing in a frozen tundra, she was always cold.

"It's nice to meet you," Bluebell Timsters said politely. Adelaide ignored her. maybe if these Victors were Carers, she might spare them a thought. But no, they were District 11 scum. Since when were they high enough on the social ladder to talk to her?  
Adelaide scoffed. "You should know by now not to speak with me, unless I speak with you first."  
"And you should know not to mess with a Victor who killed five people in her Games."

Before Adelaide could react, she was being grabbed with the neckline of her one-piece and stared down by a snarling Hyacinth Quentin. "Listen up, you little bobbled-headed bitch. I don't care who you are or where you come from. I don't care if you hate my people, which isn't a problem, since I hate yours. But so help me, if you dare to even think about insulting my fellow Victors or my tributes, I will have your throat slit faster than you can say, 'Happy Hunger Games'. Do I make myself clear?"

Adelaide nodded and Hyacinth let go of her, before storming off. The Reaping was about to being. Adelaide smoothed down her blonde hair, decorated with streaks of purple, pink, and blue. She checked her nails. As usual, nice and long without any chips. Good.

Adelaide was expecting the crowd to be cheering for her. Why wouldn't they? She was absolutely perfect! A lovely young Capitolite sacrificing so much to be escorting for this goddamn district when she really belonged in District 1. But Adelaide did not want to put up with Hyacinth again, so she kept her mouth shut drew the first name.

"Elana Briar!"

Adelaide gave a little trill as the name echoed through the crowd. Eventually, where the 12 year-olds stood, a woman slowly moved away from everyone else and towards the stage, where Adelaide got a look at her. The woman seemed shocked at her name being called, but the expression slowly morphed into something more indifferent, as if she really didn't care Adelaide de la Legendre Beaumont stood in front of her.

Elana was slightly taller than Adelaide, with dark brown hair that seemed to be level with her jawline. Her hazel eyes were misty; was she going to start crying? Her faded green dress really made a statement against her dark skin. Btu she didn't seem like Bloodbath fodder. Good. Adelaide didn't want anyone so useless.

She drew another name. "Konnor Greene!"

A loud gasp emitted from where the 15 year-olds were standing as everyone moved aside to reveal Konnor...and his wheelchair. Adelaide scowled. This was who she had chosen!? Someone so useless!? Someone who would shame her, with how he would ending up rolling off his pedestal before the hunger Games, even began!?

A Peacekeeper stepped behind Konnor and pushed his chair up to the stage. Suddenly, an old man broke out from the section behind Elana's and ran towards them. More Peacekeepers tried to shove him away. Konnor whimpered and covered his eyes. "Synth!?"

"No! You can't have him! You can't take him! He's going to die! No! NO!"  
"Synth!"  
"Get out of here before the I shoot you!" the Peacekeeper yelled. "Don't you know it's a crime to interfere with a Peacekeeper's duty?"

"Then I volunteer!" The man shoved the Peacekeeper off him and ran towards Adelaide, waving his hands. "I volunteer as tribute!"

Adelaide breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, someone who stood a better chance than Konnor. And...he was kinda hot too. "Oh my! What's your name, brave gentleman?"  
"Greene. Synthize Greene."

Like Elana, Synhtize's hair was dark and curly. He was a lot slimmer, as if she clearly had more to eat than he did. Elana noticed a scar on his lip, but didn't care. Besides, she thoughts scars made men look a lot more mysterious and alluring. At least in the Capitol, anyways. She had standards, which did not include dating someone from 11.

"District 11, I give you your tributes! Synthize Greene and Elana Briar!"  
Well, that was a bit easier that Adelaide expecting. She survived her first Reaping as an escort. Now, all she had to do was get prompted, so she could move up the ranks and finally land in District 1 someday.

* * *

 **Doing numerical order is boring and I need a break from Careers, so I'm spicing things up by introducing the 11 tributes next! Mars doesn't mind. Synth's her baby after all.**


	9. District 12: Children at Play

_Jennifer "Jenny" Gaewick, 13_  
 _District 12 Female_

* * *

 _10 days before the Reaping_

Jenny ran after Rayna, but she knew she wouldn't be able to catch up with her friend. The two girls chased each through the streets of 12, almost knocking a butcher down in the process.  
"Rayna, slow down!"  
"You have to catch me first!"  
"But I can't!"

Rayna stopped, but only to stick her tongue out at Jenny. "Not my problem!" She ran off again, Jenny still trailing behind her.  
"You're not fair-"  
"JENNIFER!"

Jenny stopped. Her mother, Kat Gaewick, was standing only a few feet away.  
"Jennifer, where have you been all day? Look at how late it is!"  
Jenny gestured to the sky. "It's still light outside."

"Well, your father has dinner ready and you've already spent plenty of time playing about. Let's go home."

As her mother dragged her off, Jenny waved goodbye to Rayna. Her two brothers were setting the table when she got home. Meanwhile, Jaeson Gaewick was scooping heaping portions of stew onto five plates. He smiled and handed Jenny one of the bigger portions. "Ah Jennifer! There you are! I haven't seen you all day."  
"Dad!"

Dash, the youngest of the Gaewick clan at 10, frowned and folded his arms. "How come Jenny's allowed to go out on her own and not me?"  
"That's enough Dash," Kat said sternly. "We will talk about that another time."  
"But I wanna hang out with my friends too!"

Jaeson glanced out the window. "Well, nobody's going out now. It's time for dinner."  
Jenny quickly claimed the best chair at the table, by placing her plate in front of it. Her older brother, Fennel, sat beside her. Dash bounced about in his seat, until Kat told him to stop. Outside, the Sun was obscured into the clouds.

Jenny eagerly dug in. She had spent so much time outside with Rayna, that she accidentally skipped lunch. She didn't even realize how hungry she was until now. Once she was done, she served herself another helping of stew. Dash began copying her actions, wolfing down his food so he could get some more. Her mother dropped her head in her hands, and everybody laughed.

"Alright," Kat groaned. "Since you're all just going to keep wearing me down...fine. Dash, I'll be willing to let you go out with your friends tomorrow...by yourself, but you better promise me you'll come back before dinner. Do I make myself clear?"  
Dash squealed. "Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Fennel shrugged. "Usually, Reaping time is when parents keep their kids as close as possible, but let the squirt have his freedom." He reached over Jenny and ruffled Dash's hair.  
Jenny shivered. Kat's eyes narrowed. "Now, that's enough, Fennel."  
"I'm just saying!"

"Let's change the subject," Jaeson said quickly. He stood up and reached for the cupboards. "I bought a chocolate cake earlier today. Who would like a slice?"  
Dash shot up. "Chocolate cake!? I want some! Me, me, me!"

Jenny quietly picked at her own piece. Just a few minutes ago, she would've enjoyed it. Now, it just stuck to the roof of her throat.

* * *

 _Powder Ridwell, 14_  
 _District 12 Male_

* * *

 _One year, three months before the Reaping_

"What are you working on, Powder?"

Powder just shrugged as he worked on his drawing. He was drawing some new designs for his father to carve onto pickaxes. According to Cavern Ridwell, Powder was not old enough to assist in the production, but he could create little designs to be place on the handles. Powder liked this job and he was good at coming up with new designs...but he was even better when his stepmother wasn't watching him like a hawk.

Myra put a hand on his shoulder. "That's a very cute drawing."  
"Thank you."  
"I can't wait to see your father put your designs on his new pickaxes. He's very proud of your work, you know."

"Thanks..." Powder was really trying to focus now. He had the idea of try and create a design using miniature pickaxes and was experimenting with several drawings. Nothing was really standing out, at least not yet. But he'd come up with something really cool. Eventually.

Myra leaned over him. "I love that design with the crossed pickaxes. I think it looks really nice."  
"Okay." Powder slowly turned around his paper. There was something about the design that wasn't sitting well with him. He glanced up at his stepmother, hoping that she might have an idea for him.

"If you want something more symmetrical, I suggest you be a bit more careful with how you angle things. The right pick is slanted further."  
"Hmmm..." Powder could see what Myra was getting at. He quickly erased his doodles and scribbled something down. "Like that?"  
"Exactly."

"I think that would work. It's looking better already."  
There was a loud clanging noise from the next room; Cavern must've resumed work on his pickaxes. Powder jumped up and hurried over, eager to show his father his latest ideas.

Dusting his hands on hiss apron, Cavern took the paper. "Wonderful, Powder. I see you've been busy. Would you like me to carve these out?"  
"Can I watch?"

Cavern nodded, placing the paper next to him on the workbench. "Stand back." He picked up a chisel and sketched a copy of the first drawing onto the handle.  
Powder watched, entranced. Bits of metal flew about and he was careful not to stand too close. But the process always thrilled him and Powder dreamed of doing the same thing someday. Of course, when he was older and actually capable of growing facial hair, like his father.

Powder soon became aware of a presence behind him; Myra was watching too. When Cavern finished, he slipped the pickaxe off to the side and picked up another one. That pick would soon end up somewhere in the mines, where a miner would run their dirty, rough, calloused hands, over Power's latest design.

* * *

 _Jennifer "Jenny" Gaewick, 13_  
 _District 12 Female_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

"How does one lose a sock so easily?" Jenny muttered as she wormed her way under Dash's bed.  
"I told you, it just vanished!" Dash called after her, before Fennel pulled him back and helped him fix up his shirt. "OW! Fennel, quit it!"

"Calm down, I didn't do anything."  
Jenny grimaced as she felt her hand brush up against a dust bunny. Finally, she felt a slip of fabric. Dash's missing sock. Hurried, Jenny pulled herself out from under the bed, careful not to lose the sock. "I found it!"

Dash slipped the sock onto his foot, just as Kat came into the room. "All you three all ready to go? Jenny! Why aren't you dressed yet? We leave in twenty minutes!"  
Jenny said nothing, but gave Dash a sideways glance. Kat got the message and sighed. "Well...hurry up. And you two boys, downstairs. Now."

The kids scattered. Jenny opened her closet door and pulled out a pale grey dress, the same dress she wore to last year's Reaping. Once it was on, she pulled her hair into pigtails. Then, she joined her family at the table for lunch, was a hastily-prepared meal.

At Kat fussed over Dash's appearance, Fennel went off on a long rant about the Quell twist and the unfairness of it all, which Jenny did her best to ignore. She asked her father if they could buy a cake once the Reaping was over and he agreed to do so. Everyone in the Gaewick family had a sweet tooth.

Finally, lunch was over, the sink was full of dirty dishes, and Jenny was following her parents to the Justice Building. On her way, she noticed Rayna and eagerly ran to greet her friend. Unlike Jenny, Rayna had put very little effort into her appearance. She had on some old shorts, a T-shirt, and her blonde hair was full of tangles.

"I feel really bad for whatever unlucky sap gets chosen," Rayna giggled. "I mean, if it's a kid, they'd have to fight against adults. And we all know the adults would win."  
"It's not that funny," Jenny said. "But yeah...I have to agree."  
"Anyways, I hope there's a new escort. The old one is sooo annoying. We should have an escort like Lucias Marquis from the 114th Hunger Games! Have you seen the old reruns!? I don't care if he's like...in his fifties, he's so cute! So cute!"

"Um...yeah!" Truth be told, Jenny had no clue what Rayna was talking about.  
"He could choose my name at the Reaping and slay me in the arena and I would thank him."

That was Jenny's cue to leave. She muttered a quick goodbye, then ran off to join her parents. Fennel was already waiting in line to register as a eligible tribute. There was something unnerving about seeing so many young adults in the line. Jenny quivered slightly as she stood behind them.

Rayna was correct.

Against adults, a kid would have no chance at all.

* * *

 _Powder Ridwell, 14_  
 _District 12 Male_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

"Powder! I'm surprised you came so early!"  
"Thanks, Mrs. Aviviano. Is Xander home?"

Mrs. Aviviano shut the door; Powder could hear her calling for her son. Eventually, the door opened again to reveal Xander on the other side. "Powder, my man! What brings you here so early?"  
"I got bored." Powder yawned. "Can I come in?"

Xander stepped aside, to let his best friend in. Powder then followed him up to his bedroom. As he sat down on the bed, Xander shoved a bunch of trinkets underneath, as a poor attempt at cleaning up. Eventually, the two boys sat across from each other.

"Shouldn't you be working with your dad, or something?"  
Powder shrugged. "I told you. I got bored."  
"You're always so lazy, dude. Lazy, lazy, lazy."

"You're one to talk!" Powder gestured to the messy floor. "When was the last time you tidied up your room?"  
"Fine. Agree to disagree?"  
A wry smile played onto Powder's lips. "Sure."

"Hey, you know Amelie? That girl who sits at the lunch table behind us at school?"  
"Isn't she part of that gossipy giggly clique?"

"That was obvious." Xander hugged his knees to his chest. "But she said I had a cute face yesterday!"  
Powder slapped his knee. "No way!"  
"Yeah way! She's totally into me, dude."

"Really?" Powder smirked. "You sure it wasn't a dare?"  
"It was genuine! She was blushing, and stammering, and looking at the ground-"  
"Okay, I believe you."

There was a knock at the door. "Xander! There's some leftover oatmeal downstairs! If neither you or Powder want it, I'll just give it to your father..."  
Xander jumped up. "Who says no to free food? Come on Powder, let's go get some oatmeal!"

"Sure thing!" Powder followed his friend down the stairs.

* * *

 _Louisiana Tenor, 19_  
 _District 12 Escort_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

This was going to be the best day ever.

Louisiana giggled to herself as she twirled about, admiring the way her scarf flowed behind her. It was a family heirloom; Louisiana received it from her grandmother, who received it from a great-grandparent, who received it from their parents, who got it from-

"Madam," a Peacekeeper said formally.  
"Oh yes." Louisiana dusted herself off, held her head high, and marched into the Justice Building. There, a frantic Henri Opechee was trying to keep a tipsy Bunting Mills stable. The older Victor was almost on the verge of falling asleep.

"Would you like some help?" Louisiana asked.  
"Oh!" Henri nodded and Louisiana took Bunting's other arm. He just stared at her, clearly fascinated with Louisiana's pale pink hair. Once Bunting was sitting in a chair, Henri offered Louisiana his hand. She quickly pulled him into a tight hug.

"Oh mi gosh, it's amazing to meet you! I'm Louisiana Tenor, but you probably knew that already! I come form a long line of musicians, but some of my family members are also escorts! Musicians and escorts! As a matter of fact, I'm related to an escort all the way from the 22nd Hunger Games! I'm really excited to be working with you and we're gonna make these the best Games ever!"

Henri seemed overwhelmed. "Yes...it's nice to meet you too. I'm Henri...just some Victor from 12."  
"You're not just some Victor! I watched your Games and I convinced my parents to sponsor you! You helped pull District 12 out of poverty and I'm planning on helping you bring back another Victor! What do you say to that?"

"It would be nice."  
"This year will be our year! We'll have yet another Quell Victor!"

"You can't be sure of that," Henri said softly.  
"You don't sound excited. Is something troubling you?"  
"I'm...I'm afraid for my brothers. I've got three of them, they're all younger than me, they're all of Reaping age. I'm just a bit nervous..."

Louisiana nodded, though she couldn't imagine why Henri would be nervous for a Quarter Quell. But she mentally reminded herself to to pick any kids with the last name Opechee. Henri walked off and two Peacekeepers lifted up Bunting from his chair. The Reaping was about to start!

Louisiana glanced down. Her outfit was simple, just a blue top over grey leggings and a pink see-through skirt. She had swapped her favourite combat boots for black flats at the last minute. A good decision on her part; that would've likely intimidated Henri. Louisiana had already decided she liked him. He looked really handsome too, with her dark brown hair and grey eyes causing a beautiful contrast against his caramel skin.

As much as she'd like to continue chatting with Henri, Louisiana had a job to do. She waited patiently in the Justice Building, until the mayor announced they had a brand new escort. Louisiana couldn't control herself as she burst out onto the stage, waving enthusiastically to the crowd. "Hello! It's wonderful to be here!"

Bunting had already passed out, but Henri perked up a little. Louisiana saw him from the corner of her eye, but she kept focused. After all, she'd see plenty of the mentors on the train. New, she was dying to know who the tributes would be!

Louisiana wasted no time grabbing a single slip of paper, digging her hand as far as she could into the glass ball. "Jennifer Gaewick!"  
Somewhere in the back of the crowd, there was a loud thud and a girl screamed.

Louisiana gasped. Peacekeepers shuffled about, until two of them were carrying a young girl, perhaps 12 or 13, up to the stage. Her dark brown hair was short and her slim eyes were shut, a small tear rolling down her face. She had obviously fainted.

"R-right..." Louisiana wasn't sure what to do. A Peacekeeper gave her a nod, signaling her to continue. She drew another slip.  
 _Don't be Henri's brother...don't be Henri's brother..._

"Powder Ridwell!"

The colour returned to Henri's cheeks. This time, the tribute walked up by himself. He was a bit older than Jennifer, perhaps taller too. His blond hair was straight and short and he had a bad case of acne. His eyes were brown and he looked ready to cry. Powder noticed Louisiana staring at him, and quickly wiped his tears away.

"District 12!" The microphone squealed with feedback and Louisiana jumped. "I give you your tributes!"

So, that was over. Now, all Louisiana had to do was help Bunting and Henri get either Jennifer or Powder home.

* * *

 **Merry Christmas! Here's my present to you!**

 **Now, we've made our way through a third of the districts. Hope you guys enjoyed Jenny, Powder, and Louisiana.**

 **I'll see you guys in the new year, and in District 3!**

 **-Vr**


	10. District 3: Under Pressure

**Trigger warning: Some slightly homophobic comments in Hera's first POV.**

* * *

 _Palatino Clear, 12_  
 _District 3 Male_

* * *

 _Six months before the Reaping_

"Addie! Acer! Where are you!? I need help!"

The two servants jumped to their feet as Palatino stormed into the room. They had been gathered around a television, featuring President Snow talking about the Quell twist.  
Palatino folded his arms and scowled. "I can't find my computer!"  
"Ah, yes sir..." Acer glanced around, avoiding eye contact. "You see, you were complaining about it being buggy, so Wyatt went to go take for repairs. We promise, it will be back soon-"

"Do you nitwits even know who my father is!?"  
"Of course!" Addie spluttered. "We...we live here, sir."  
"Right...so you wouldn't mind if I went to my father and complained about your complete and utter lack of productivity in this room!? I want my computer now!"

Addie dropped her head into her hands. Behind her, Palatino could see the glow of the television screen. "What are you watching?"  
"Just a broadcast from the Capitol."  
"Is that the President?" Palatino shoved the servants aside. "I wanna see the President! Rewind it!"

Acer grabbed the remote and pressed a button. The scene rewinded, until President Snow was standing back on her balcony, patiently awaiting the arrival of a box that contained every last Hunger Games Quell. She selected a yellow envelope and opened it up.

"For the sixth Quarter Quell, as a reminder to the rebels that they were responsible for teaching their children to turn their backs on the Capitol, the Reaping age bracket has been widened. Anyone from the age of 12 to 25 is now eligible to participate in this year's Hunger Games."

The servants understood the severity of the Quells words. Palatino didn't. "What's so bad about that?"  
"They changed the Reaping bracket," Acer said. "Normally, you have to be between 12 or 18. Now, adults are going to end up competing as well."

"So?" Palatino frowned. "It's not a big deal."  
Acer frowned. "I suppose it isn't...after all, it could be worse...it's still a big change for anybody within that age bracket."  
"Well, I don't care. Now, where's my computer?"

"We told you, sir. Wyatt took it for repairs. It will-" Addie was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Well! I bet that's Wyatt right now."  
Palatino flung the door open and snatched his computer from Wyatt's hands. It looked good as new.  
"Do you like it, sir?" Wyatt asked.

Palatino muttered a quick thanks, then ran off to his room. He had already forgotten about the Quell twist. Instead, his mind raced with all sorts of programs, codes, and blueprints he could download on his brand new computer.

* * *

 _Hera Myrana, 24_  
 _District 3 Female_

* * *

 _Two weeks before the Reaping_

"What's your problem, bitch?" Hera snapped. "Ever seen two ladies kiss before?"  
"Hera, that's enough!" Freya hissed, dragging her wife away. "You're making a scene."

Hera allowed Freya to drag her off, but not before she glared at the woman who was clearly judging her. They soon disappeared into the crowded market streets. Hera quickly grabbed onto Freya's hands so they wouldn't lose each other. Most people couldn't even care less about two women in love, which Hera was grateful for. She had put up with plenty of disapproval before.

Freya picked up a blue silk sash and wrapped it around her waist. "What do you think, dear? Does blue look good on me?"  
"I think everything looks good on you. Except yellow."  
Freya looked relieved. "Oh, thank goodness. I hate yellow."  
"I know, sweetie. I know."

As Freya rummaged through her wallet for coins, Hera drifted off to look at a jewellery stand. As she marveled at the glistening gemstones and shiny bracelets, she felt somebody give her a shove. Hera stumbled forward and almost crashed into the stand.  
"OW! Watch it, bastard!"

The face that turned to confront Hera was a rather familiar one and she couldn't believe she had just the luck to run into him today.  
"Young lady, how dare you disrespect your own father like that! Where are your manners!? Or, did you just happen to forget them when you ran off with that skank you dare call a girlfriend!?"

Hera folded her arms. She ran a finger up and down her ring. Her _engagement_ ring. "She's my _wife_ now, Eric."  
Just like his daughter, Eric Galisto had a short temper that could easily burn with the smallest of kindling. "Is that so? Well, I hope you're aware."

"Aware of what?"  
"How disappointing you are. I raised you, I molded you, I turned you into the perfect little daughter and this was what I ended up with. You...you...you disgrace."

At this point, Hera was seeing red. She was ready to snap, to lunge at her father, but someone grabbed her arm and held her steady. Freya.  
"Hera, there you are! I thought I lost you! Come on, we still have a lot of shopping to do."

Relieved, Hera gave her wife a peck on the cheek and followed her back onto the streets of the market.

* * *

 _Palatino Clear, 12_  
 _District 3 Male_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

Palatino was eating breakfast in his room. Normally, he'd be expected to join his parents downstairs, but he had a huge coding project he wanted to finish. In between bites of scrambled eggs and crispy bacon, his fingers eagerly tapped away at the keyboard of his computer.

Once Palatino had finished and all his breakfast was gone, he finally headed downstairs. His parents were sitting in the living room. Trebuchet Clear was scribbling some notes down on a piece of paper, while his wife, Verdana, was doing her makeup and checking her reflection in a mirror.

"Good morning, son," Trebuchet said, finally looking up from his notes. "Did you have a good breakfast?"  
"Have my video games come in yet?"  
"Not for another week."

"Aw." Palatino flopped on one of the velvet couches, then curled up next to his mother. She placed an arm around him and gave him a kiss; a smudged lipstick stain was now present on Palatino's right cheek. "Good morning, Mom!" Palatino giggled.  
"Good morning, dear."

"Wanna see my project, Mom? I spent all morning on it. It's a model airplane! I then ran a program, which allows me to control it from the computer! Doesn't that sound cool? It's gonna be so awesome, because it can do stunt like flips and spirals and stuff like that. I wanna add some smoke effects too, but I'm not sure how. Eh, I'll figure it out-"

"As long as you don't fly that thing in the house!" Verdana ruffled her son's hair. "You've caused the servants enough heart attacks already, with your robot spiders and snakes."  
"I didn't do that, they escaped on their own! And it wasn't my fault Addie stepped on one. It took me a week to repair it."  
"Sure thing, baby."

Trebuchet was now going through a stack of files, frowning at some of the numbers. As the mayor of District 3, he had a lot of responsibilities to take care of. Palatino could tell by watching his father's body language for the past few days that some sort of important event was coming up, but he couldn't figure out what. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to try and ask...

"So, what are we doing today?"  
Verdana gasped, then exchanged worried glances with her husband. There was a moment of awkward silence before Trebuchet spoke. "Well...this afternoon, District 3 is hosting something called the Reaping. They have it every year, where two people get chosen to go to the Capitol...you see, son, they get to spend the rest of their life there living in paradise."

"Oh." Palatino frowned. "Well, I don't wanna get Reaped. I'm not leaving you guys!"  
"Oh course you won't," Verdana said softly. "But you can't tell anyone, alright? It's supposed to be a big secret and your father only has access to this information because he's the mayor."  
"Can you keep a secret, Palatino?"

Palatino nodded. "Yes I can!"

* * *

 _Hera Myrana, 24_  
 _District 3 Female_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

Sunlight shone through the window and Hera groaned as the light blinded her. She wanted to get up and draw the curtains, but didn't want to leave the bed. Not when Freya was there.  
Hera flipped herself over and curled up next to her wife. Freya stirred, then pushed her away. "Ughhhh...go back to sleeeeeep..."

"Nope!" Hera wrapped her arms around Freya. "I'm gonna pester you until you get up."  
"I don't want to..."  
"I don't care..."

Freya finally got the upper hand and nearly shoved Hera off the bed. "Go back to bed."  
"How about a pre-breakfast quickie?"  
"Nope."  
"Waffles?"

Frye opened one eye. Her blonde hair was all over the place. "This is what you've been after the whole time? Waffles?"  
"You make good waffles."  
"Alright, alright. I'm up."

The two women made their way into the kitchen. Freya rummaged through the cupboards, looking for her waffle maker. Hera watched over her wife's shoulder as Freya prepared a batch of mix, then poured it into the maker. Soon, the house smelled like freshly baked waffles.

Freya dumped a stack in front of Hera. "I hope you're happy."  
"I love you!"  
"I know."

Hera dug through her waffles, insisting on feeding Freya a couple of bites. She loved mornings like this. Where the two of them didn't need anything but each other to be happy. Freya was the complete opposite of Hera. Sweet, quiet, and could never, ever say something bad about someone else. How she ended up married to Hera was a true mystery.

"You're so funny when you eat," Freya chuckled. You must have a hollow leg."  
"Oh shaddup," Hera muttered through a mouthful of waffles. "You're so embarrassing!"  
"You're the embarrassing one! Sorry..."

Hera playfully rolled her eyes and polished off the rest of her food. "What am I going to do with you?"  
"I've been asking that question myself for two years."  
"So...more waffles?"  
"I think you've had enough, sweetheart."

* * *

 _Apollonius "Apollo" Karaigme, 25_  
 _Head Gamemaker_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

The highlights of Districts 1 and 2 had already been shown. Sitting in the control room with the other Gamemakers, Apollo kept his gaze focused on District 3. It did excite him a little bit to see his twin sister standing on the stage. Artemis had not bothered dressing up for the occasion. Her dark brown hair was streaked with silver, as usual. She wore a silver summer dress with black leggings and grey ballet flats underneath. She had on a pair of sunglasses, so Apollo couldn't see her eyes.

Cherry frowned. "Who wears silver over black!?"  
Mercutio, Apollo's second-in-command, gave her a light punch. "You're in no position to be discussing fashion like that-"  
"Both of you, shut up!"

"Happy Hunger Games," Artemis mumbled; the microphone barely picked up her words. "May the odds be ever in your favour."

Behind Artemis, Byte Tivone began to shake. Gibson LePaul quietly reached out and took their hand. The colour returned to Byte's cheeks as they gripped onto Gibson's hand. Apollo felt a bit bad for the Victor, since Byte had lost their son to last year's Hunger Games. It was amazing they looked this put together right now.

Meanwhile, Artemis fumbled with the slips. She eventually picked one out and opened it up. "He...Hera Myrana."

Apollo cringed slightly as the woman in question began screaming and cussing as she stormed towards Artemis. Hera had dark brown hair that went all the way down her back. Her skin was dark and Apollo noticed a long scar running down the side of her face, near her bright blue eyes.

"Welcome.." Artemis was avoiding eye contact with Hera. "Is...there anything you'd-"  
"Yeah. Fuck you! I hope you know what you've done!"

Artemis picked a second slip. Whoever the tribute was, Apollo hoped they didn't cuss out his sister or insult her. Nobody was allowed to do that to Artemis!

"Palatino Clear."

The control room exploded in panic. Apollo jumped up form his chair, which fell over behind him. He quickly grabbed his phone and dialed a number, ignoring the chatters of the other Gamemakers. On the television screen, a pale, chubby boy with brown hair was screaming as Peacekeepers dragged him towards the stage. Mayor Clear looked ready to faint.

The President must've seen the Reaping too, because the first thing she said to Apollo was, "We've got a problem."  
"Of course we do!" Apollo snapped. "How do we get Mayor Clear to trust us now!?"

There was no answer. As a way of keeping control in the districts, President Snow and Apollo would secretly rig elections in the favour of the most Loyalist candidate. As a reward, their children would have their names pulled from the Reaping balls when they came of age.  
Palatino should not have been in there at all.

"Miss Karaigme should not have pulled his name if the slip didn't exist."  
Apollo took a deep breath. "I'm aware of that...oh..."  
"Apollonius..."

"Oh shit."

Apollo collapsed in the nearest chair. The other Gamemakers watched him nervously. He pressed his free hand against his head. Everything overwhelmed him at once and he couldn't make sense of a single detail. His head hurt. The room was spinning. Apollo pressed the phone against his ear, but all he heard was a dial tone.

What had his sister done!?

* * *

 **Bam! Spicy subplot time!**

 **Hope everyone is having a good 2019 so far. Here we've got Hera, Palatino, and Artemis. Hera is another one of Mars's children. Palatino was a bit of a more complicated character to capture, but I think I did well with him.**

 **Shameless self-promotion, I've set up a Discord server for Psycho Circus, plus my other SYOTs! If you're interested and want to the link, shoot me a PM, and I'll send it to you!**

 **-Vr**


	11. District 4: Come Together

_Rosemary "Rosy" Ivring, 19_  
 _District 4 Female_

* * *

 _Three months, one week before the Reaping_

It amazed Rosy and Calypso how many people were already clearing away the wreckage when they arrived. The roof of the Training Centre lay off to one side as everyday citizens worked together to pull back the wreckage. Some were making snacks and refreshments. Someone was even operating a crane.

All these noises overwhelmed Rosy with colours and it started to make her head spin. "Wow...I guess I expected less people to show up."  
Calypso nodded. "It's amazing, isn't it? How easily community can come together."  
"Where should we start?"

Calypso was about to respond, but she was caught off by a familiar voice shouting, "Rosemary!"  
Dressed in muddy rainboots, a safety vest, and a hard hat, a hysterical Chelsea Odair eagerly ran towards Rosy. "Oh, I'm so glad you came to help out today! We have so much rubble to get rid of before we can even take a look at the damage on the inside!"

Rosy winced in sympathy. The Training Centre did look like a mess. Gathering some gear and tools, she and Calypso joined a few other workers and the outskirts of the building. Rosy grabbed the end of a steel beam and pulled on as hard as she could. Eventually, she managed to yank it free. The beam was bent in two places, making it absolutely useless. As she grabbed a second beam, Rosy realized just how much damage had been done. Very few materials could be reused to build a new Training Centre and who knew how much it would cost to replace.

And with the Reapings so soon...

Rosy dug through the mess and found a slightly rusted throwing knife. It was covered in seawater and gravel. She smiled to herself, remembering the years she spent running around the Training Centre. Even though it had been less than a year since she had been here, Rosy thought it felt like a lifetime ago.

"Looks like we finally broke in," an unfamiliar voice said in a flash of bright yellow. It was an older man, standing behind Rosy. "Thank goodness most of the weapons are in good shape. Just polish them up and they'll be good as new."  
"That's great," Rosy replied, handing the knife over. She went back to work, before meeting up with Calypso, who was taking a break and in no hurry to finish up her lemonade. She and Chelsea were making small talk.

"Find anything yet?"  
Calypso shrugged. "From what I know, clearing away the roof seems to be a top priority. There's talk of reusing most of the materials for others things, like repairs around the district, so it's not a compete waste."  
Chelsea agreed. "That's exactly the plan. My father hates to see things go to waste. And it's our little way of giving back." She adjusted her safety vest. "I'm just worried."

"About the Reapings?" Rosy asked.  
"Of course! 4 has always been proud of its Career Academy, but that way, we prevent reluctant kids from ending up in the Games if they don't want to. And I'm supposed to be mentoring this year...oh crap...I'm so worried..."

Again, Rosy recalled her training days, throwing weapons around in the Training Centre, the looks of approval from trainers, sparring with Chelsea. Even if her passions had shifted to art once she learned she would not be volunteering for the 149th Hunger Games, there was still that Career inside of her. Now, knowing it could help make a difference and potentially save a life, the Career was begging Rosy to let it out.

"Perhaps there's a way."  
"What do you mean?" Chelsea asked.

Rosy just gave her a smile.

* * *

 _Alexander "Alec" Thorngrove, 18_  
 _District 4 Male_

* * *

 _Three months, one week before the Reaping_

"There's nothing for me to do," Marlena sighed. She sat down on a slate of ceramic, before jumping back up when somebody yelled at her to move.  
Alec pushed up his hard hat, which was too big for him. "What do you mean?"  
"Everyone says I'm too young to carry the heavy stuff."

Wanting to say something to comfort his younger sister, Alec's eyes drifted to the refreshments table. "Why don't you ask if they need help serving food? Everyone looks pretty hungry anyways."  
Marlena perked up slightly. "Yeah...I guess I can do that." She skipped off. "See you later, bro!"

Chuckling to himself, Alec joined a small group of older men who were attempting to pick a large piece of a free-standing wall. It surprised him how the majestic Training Centre had been reduced to almost nothing in only a few hours. He'd pass by the building all the time, occasionally waiting at the front door for his best friend, Charlie. Except Charlie was at home, taking care of his sister who broke her leg while trapped in the Training Centre.

After almost two hours of clearing things and taking the rescued objects somewhere for storage, Garret Odair passed through the crowd with a microphone, announcing a 15 minute lunch break. He gave Alec a clap on the shoulder. "Take a break, son. Get something to eat."

Under the shade of the umbrellas surrounding the refreshment stand, Alec chowed down on a turkey sandwich and held a cup of lemonade in his other hand. It didn't take long for Marlena to find him. She had a huge smile on her face. "You see those guys over there? They told me I make the best lemonade."

"That's nice."  
Marlena flashed him a smile as she nibbled on her food. "There's so many kids here that I know from school. Like Ivan, Darwin...that one over there...hey Alec, you're a guy, right?"  
Alec chuckled. "What's the problem now?"

"If a boy keeps staring at you, does that mean anything?"  
"What's this?' Alec ruffled his sister's hair. "Is someone taking a fancy to you? I don't need to get all overprotective now, do I?""  
"Ugh, s-stop it!" Marlena blushed and jumped back from Alec's reach. "Forget I asked!"  
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry."

"I'm gonna go talk with my friends...who will actually be mature about this!" Marlena stuck her tongue out at him, then hurried off. Alec just finished the rest of his lunch and joined the crew of construction workers cleaning up the rubble of the Training Centre.

* * *

 _Rosemary "Rosy" Ivring, 19_  
 _District 4 Female_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

If Rosy had any plans for how she'd spend Reaping day, it would not include getting dragged by her brother to visit their parents. She'd get more fun out of her time, painting, or hanging out with Calypso, or getting some training tips from the Odairs.

But here she was.

Trent gave his sister's arm a reassuring squeeze. "You'll be fine, Rosy! Mom and Dad say they haven't seen you in a while."  
Siya, Rosy's Sister-in-law, wrapped her arms around her husband. "Yeah, you just lock yourself up in your apartment. Breathing in all those paint fumes can't be good. You need some fresh air, girl!"

Rosy nodded as Trent knocked on the door. It opened up to reveal Elsabeth Ivring staring at her children. Her face morphed into a warm smile.  
"Trent, Rosemary! It's wonderful to see you two!"  
"Thanks Mom!" Trent gave his mother a hug. He then gave Rosy a gentle push inside the house. "Come on, sis, say hello."

Rosy slipped inside the house and made her way towards the living room. It looked just as she remembered it. Her gaze drifted to the pictures decorating the fireplace and she stopped to admire one of a little six year-old girl sitting on her father's shoulders. She saw a familiar flash of green behind her paired with a gruff voice, and turned to address it, but Caspian Ivring was busy talking to Trent instead.

"Glad to have you home, son. How's the merchant's life been treating you?"  
"It's been good, actually. Pretty hectic. I've also seen people selling some of Rosy's art. Tell him about that, Rosy!"

Rosy nodded with pride. "That's excellent," Caspian muttered, then turned his attention back to Trent. Rosy just sighed.

Eventually, she bid her parents goodbye, and left. Rosy began jogging her way back to her apartment, which also acted as her studio. She thought of the other projects she had to finish. Paintings sculptures, she even wanted to try experimenting with jewellery. Rosy was about halfway to her apartment, when she almost bumped into Garret Odair.

"Watch where you're going, sweetheart," Garret chuckled. "Anyways, Chelsea's been asking about you. She wanted to be absolutely sure that you're volunteering today."  
"Oh yes. I mean, I've got a chance, right? I trained for a good ten years."  
"I believe you, girl. And if you're still as deadly as you were in training, then I think District 4 might have victory in the bag. I'll see you at the Reaping."

"See you later," Rosy said, then continued jogging her way home.

* * *

 _Alexander "Alec" Thorngrove, 18_  
 _District 4 Male_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

Jake Thorngrove scowled. "Well, you're finally up."

Alec groaned and rubbed at his eyes. He hadn't intended to sleep in, but after so many late nights helping with the Training Centre renovation...  
Thank goodness his stepmother was there. "Alec, you need to stop coming home so late. The construction can continue without you. Sleep is important!"

"I know, I know..." Alec's gaze drifted to the coffee maker sitting on the kitchen counter. "Sorry, Alesia."  
Alesia pointed to the plate of French toast sitting on the table. "Just looking out for you, dear. Now eat your breakfast."

As Alec picked through his French toast, he mulled over last night's dream. He didn't remember much, but there had been a forest full of silver trees. And a girl...or a guy, he wasn't sure. But they were cute. And they were dancing with him through the silver forest and the trees all had red leaves for some strange reason. They may have kissed him once or twice.

"There he goes," Alec heard his father mumble. "He could be doing something useful with his time, but-"  
"That's enough, Jake."  
"Hey, I didn't my children to be lazy bastards!"

Alec grimaced. He wolfed down the last of his food, then dumped the dishes in the sink. "I'm going out."  
"Okay. Have fun!" Alesia gave him a little wave.

Ugh, was Alec glad to get some fresh air. He hated it when his father went off on tangents like that. His children needed to be more this, more that. Marlena needed to learn "responsibility", Alec needed to be a better "example". He was glad for Alesia, attempting to diffuse the situation.

Things were surprisingly quiet on the residential streets of 4; Alec figured a lot of people were spending time inside, or helping out with construction. Alec couldn't help but feel a bit bored. He decided to visit Charlie's house. Maybe there, he'd find something fun to do.

Sure enough, Charlie was home. The two of them exchanged a fist bump before Charlie let Alec inside. He looked just as exhausted as Alec felt, but was otherwise in a good mood. "It's so great to see you, Alec! I swear, it feels like everyone in the district is dead inside."  
"The collapse of a giant building tends to do that. You seem really bummed out."

"Yeah! Training was my life! Now I missed out on my chance to volunteer..." Charlie shrugged. "Aw, whatever. Now I can turn to my other hobbies! Like...um...you know..."  
"You'll figure it out eventually."

"Shut up, Alec."  
Alec giggled to himself as he covered up his smirk with his hand.

* * *

 _Aquamarine Lockheart, 40_  
 _District 4 Escort_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

Rumours were just rumours and Aquamarine knew that perfectly well. But when she arrived in District 4, to meet the dismayed Victors, her stomach formed into a tight knot. This was not true. District 4 did not suffer the loss of their Training Centre because they were District 4 and they had produced some of the most notable tributes, such as the Odairs.

Aquamarine flashed Chelsea a supportive smile, her way of offering support. Fine. Everything would be fine. The mentors could still take care of the tributes and Aquamarine could still help as much as she could. They were a team, and this was what they did.

"It's nice to have you back," Garret Odair said to her.  
"It's nice to be back," Aquamarine replied, and she meant it.

As usual, her outfit just screamed "District 4". Aquamarine had recently touched up her hair and now her perm was decorated with multiple shades of blue and the occasional green. She had on three-inch heels, a grass skirt, and a flowing sky blue blouse. A bit simple by her standards, but still appropriately themed.

The Reaping was much tense than last year's. Aquamarine smiled fondly as the crowd cheered when Chelsea was introduced, the youngest Victor and pride of the district. She was a bit worried about tripping in her heels, but made it onto the stage without incident. The district clapped loudly.

"Happy Hunger Games, everyone!" Aquamarine trilled. "Let's see who our lucky lady is...Marjorie Tompkins!"

The 13 year-old took a while to appear, but was saved when the shouts of "I volunteer!" could be heard in the crowd. The woman in question had golden brown hair and fair skin. When she hurried up to the stage next to Aquamarine, the escort noticed the freckles dotting her face. Her arms were quite muscular, a clear indication of training.

"Ah, a volunteer! What's your name, dear?"  
"I am Rosemary Ivring and I plan on representing District 4 in the Hunger Games."

Chelsea made an excited squeal; everyone was excited. Aquamarine felt relief course through her body. District 4 was still full of contenders, even with a prime source of Career training taken away from them. She drew the next name.

"Alexander Thorngrove!"

Alexander was the same age as Rosemary, or maybe a little younger. His hair was blond and curly and he had his hands in his pockets as he shuffled towards Aquamarine, as if he was stuck in a daze. He snapped out of it once he was on the stage and glanced around nervously.  
Aquamarine cleared her throat. "Any volunteers?"

The crowd was silent.

"No," Alexander muttered under his breath; Aquamarine could barely hear him. "No! Oh fuck! No..."  
There was a commotion somewhere in the crowd. A teenage girl screamed hysterically as she tried to push her way through. Peacekeepers moved to restrain her. Aquamarine felt that knot in her stomach again. "District 4, I give you your tributes! Tributes, shake hands."

Both tributes had a firm grip. Rosemary stared directly at her fellow tribute, full of determination and hope. Alexander looked ready to faint. Whispering to herself, Chelsea retreated into her father's arms and he gave her a warm hug. Then, Garret motioned for Aquamarine to follow him into the Justice Building.

"That could've gone a lot worse," Chelsea sighed. "I mean...Dad, I thought, since Rosy wanted volunteer, and-"  
"We will make do," Garret decided. "District 4 does not give up. We're going to work together to bring our tributes home."  
Aquamarine raised her hand. "I'll help too."

"Of course," Garret replied. "Now, let's get District 4 back-to-back victories. We're bringing one of our tributes home."

Aquamarine liked the sound of that.

* * *

 **Even without a proper training facility, District 4 still finds a way to manage. Hope you liked the characters that were introduced. And Mars hopes you like her final child, Alec.**

 **Because I'm difficult and like to confuse everyone, our next District will be District 9! So stay tuned for that!**

 **-Vr**


	12. District 9: Runaway

**Insert shameless self-promotion of my new SYOT, Too Much Heaven here and slight mention about how it's accepting tributes.  
**

* * *

 _Jonathan Firre, 12_  
 _District 9 Male_

* * *

 _Two days before the Reaping_

Jonathan's grandparents were not the least bit surprised to see him at their door again.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" Grandma Firre asked, setting out a plate of homemade cookies.  
Jonathan snatched up a cookie and nibbled on it. "Everything."  
"That is quite the exaggeration."

"Well it's true! Everyone except the triplets is freaking out because of the Reaping twist and Dad's still making me study and review my schoolwork, but I don't have to be in school for another two months. And Glenn's being a butt again.""  
"That's what older brothers do, dear."

"I'm sick and tired of having so many older brothers and sisters. When I grow up, I'm leaving in the woods by myself!"  
"By yourself?"  
"Okay...not by myself. I'm gonna get a dog. And maybe a wife. You guys can come live with me too! But that's it; nobody else!"

Grandpa Firre chuckled and patted his youngest grandson on the back. "Well, there's nothing wrong with a little alone time every now and then. Though I think we'll stay here, in our little house. You're welcome to visit as much as you like."

Jonathan grabbed a second cookie. "See, you guys get it." He felt his grandparents's dog, Texla, brush past his feet and he reached down to pet her. "Everybody else treats me like I'm a baby. I'm too young for this, too old for that, I can't do this for myself, I'm too short. It's annoying! And I'm not short!"  
"It's called being a late bloomer, honey. You'll hit your growth spurt eventually."

Jonathan snapped the remains of his cookie in half. He held one piece down to Texla, who gave it a sniff, then turned away, more interested in the bag of dog treats Grandma Firre was reaching into. "That's what I said. Dad just thinks I should stop slouching or I need to add something to my diet. Mom just agrees with him because she says he cares for me. Well, if he did care, maybe he'd stop nagging me all the time."

"Oh, he does care for you," Grandpa Firre replied. "Your entire family cares, Jonathan. They just have a funny way of showing it sometimes."  
"It's like that with big families." Grandma Firre tossed the dog treat towards Texla, who gobbled it up eagerly. "When you've got so many opinions clashing at once..."  
"I know, I know."

"Now, you should probably head back home."  
Jonathan nodded, then reach out to grab one last cookie before he jumped up from the couch. "Yeah. I think it's lunchtime."  
Grandma Firre snatched the plate from him. "And I'm not about to be blamed for you spoiling your appetite! Come on, scat!"

"I love you too," Jonathan giggled as his grandparents each gave him a hug and Texla licked his hand before he made his way home. When he arrived, the house was filled with so much energy, that nobody had even noticed Jonathan left in the first place.

* * *

 _Autumn Farro, 15_  
 _District 9 Female_

* * *

 _Four years, seven months before the Reaping_

Ever since he figured it out, little Spring loved to run around on his own and more often than not, there was always somebody watching over him, to keep an eye out if he got into trouble and to pick him up and put him back in his bed once he got tired. Autumn thought she was responsible enough to keep an eye on Spring by herself, but her parents believed otherwise.

"Spring! Don't touch that!" Autumn jumped up from her seat and towards her little brother, but her father scooped him up first. Spring seemed slightly disappointed, probably wondering why nobody would let him near his father's scythe, lying against the wall in the corner.  
"Alright you," Barrick chuckled. "That's enough running around for today. Time for a nap." He carried Spring off to his room, and Autumn was now alone.

Autumn went back to sewing, something her aunt taught her and an activity she was slowly improving on. It wasn't exactly easy for the 11 year-old, but she was learning. After a few minutes sewing two patches of cloth together, Barrick came back into the room. "Autumn, pick up your needles, please."  
"I'm using them right now."  
"While I don't want Spring to find them, because he might think they're edible. We can put all your sewing equipment in your room and we'll close the door so he can't get inside."

Autumn did as she was told. Once she had all her needles gather up in her hands, Barrick handed her an old wicker basket. Autumn dumped everything into the basket, then carried it off to her room. She heard a door creak open, which surprised her. Barrick was still in the living room and her mother was currently out with friends. Who could that be?

 _Spring._

Sure enough, he was stretching his arm as high as he could, clinging onto the doorknob. As soon as he saw Autumn, he started giggling and let go, almost falling backwards.  
Autumn chuckled to herself, then carried the basket into her room. She glanced around for somewhere to put it, then decided to place the basket on a shelf. Even if Spring could get inside her room, there was no way he'd be able to reach up there.  
At least not yet.

Suddenly, she felt something heavy drop onto her foot. When Autumn looked down, there her little brother was, clinging onto her leg. He burst out laughing as Autumn tried to walk them both back to Spring's room, but she could only move her leg so much. Every time she lifted it up, Spring's grip tightened.

"Come on, Spring. You need to go to sleep. It's naptime."  
"No!"  
"No!? No, you don't want to sleep?"  
"I dun wanna!"

"Alright..." Autumn sat down on the bed as Spring tried to climb up beside her. "But Mom and Dad want you to take a nap. What if I stay here with you?"  
Spring seemed to have calmed down. He crawled into bed and curled up next to his sister. As they lay there, Autumn could feel her eyes growing heavy.

When Barrick Farro went to investigate, he found his two children sleeping next to each other.

* * *

 _Jonathan Firre, 12_  
 _District 9 Male_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

As if Reaping days were chaotic enough in Jonathan's house, today was the first time in a while that him and his siblings, with the exception of the triplets, would be eligible. As usual, Jonathan found himself lost as everyone hurried around. He sat at the breakfast table by hismelf and slowly finished up the last of his food.

As Jonathan dribbled some maple syrup over a lukewarm pancake, he watched the commotion. Barty approached him, looking extremely tired and frustrated. "Jonathan! You didn't touch my training gear this morning, did you?"  
Jonathan muttered a response through a mouthful of pancake. Ever since Barty announced he was planning on training to become a Peacekeeper, he'd been a lot harder to put up with. More irritable, more snobby...just an overall pain in Jonathan's ass.

"Well...it's gone! I'll go ask the girls if they've seen it, but I hope you're not lying to me!"  
As Barty hurried off to go ask someone else, Jonathan finished his pancakes and dumped his dishes in the sink. They made a loud noise as they knocked over a stack of plates in the process. Upstairs, he heard a bunch of noise. Tori and Jessie were arguing about something, and Maisie and Alexandra had locked the door to their shared bedroom, but muffled singing could be heard inside. Jonathan made his way to the bathroom, where he found his oldest brother standing in front of the mirror.

"Hi Glenn."  
Glenn didn't say anything as he ran the razor down the side of his chin.

"Why are you shaving?"  
"Well, I want to look nice for today, don't I?" Glenn asked.  
"It doesn't matter. You can't even get chosen."  
"Well, I still want to clean up. Do you have a problem with that?"

Jonathan picked up the cap to the shaving cream bottle and tossed it about in his hands. "I bet it's because your wife made you do it."  
Glenn threw down his towel. It flopped into the sink. "Get out."  
"It's my bathroom too!" Jonathan protested as Glenn pushed him out, then closed the door in his face. Jonathan just scowled. "Hey! Just because you're the oldest-"

"Well, I'm mature enough to give people space when they ask for it!"  
Jonathan stomped back downstairs. He heard someone bustling around in the kitchen and Barty accusing their father of taking his training equipment. Nobody heard him as he pulled the front door open and blinding sunlight shone into the house.

"I'm going to Grandma and Grandpa's!" Jonathan yelled over his shoulder before he ran off, slamming the door shut behind him.

* * *

 _Autumn Farro, 15_  
 _District 9 Female_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

"I'm just saying, I think sickles are a lot more effective," Lina pointed out. "They're smaller, so they're easier to control."  
Autumn had to admit, her friend made a good argument. "Yeah, but scythes look more badass."  
"If we're basing this argument off looks-"  
"Yes we are, because we both know scythes win."

Autumn and Lina were hiding out in a wheat field, ignoring the chatter of nearby workers. Most people chose not to work on Reaping Day, with the exception of those who really needed the money. Autumn's family was not upper-class, but they were still quite well-off so her parents were at home, watching over Spring.  
Lina plucked a weed from the ground. "Scythes are just an accident waiting to happen."  
Autumn thought back to the first time she had tried to use a scythe, and how she had no clue what to do with it. She absentmindedly traced the scar running down her cheek with her fingers. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

"Fair enough?"  
"Fair enough."

Lina tore the weed in half, then let it flutter form her hands into the ground. "Ugh, I really hate summer. It's just too hot to do anything, really."  
"Wanna guess what my favourite season is?"  
"Nah. Too easy." Lina giggled. "Your name says all."  
"Actually, it's springtime."  
"Right...I knew that."

Autumn rolled her eyes. "Sure thing. But springtime is warm, but not too warm. And you get really nice breezes."  
"That sounds nice," Lina sighed. "I like sunshine. But not too much of it, like we have right now."  
"You don't like too much of anything."

Lina opened her mouth to protest, then glanced over her shoulder. "Shit."  
"What?"  
"Peacekeepers."

Sure enough, Autumn spotted the unmistakable white uniforms of Peacekeepers surveying the fields. "Are we allowed to be here?"  
"If we aren't, I don't want to find out!" Lina jumped to her feet, grabbing Autumn's hand and pulling her along. Keeping their heads low, the two friends dashed through the wheat until they were a safe distance away and within proximity of District 9's suburbs.

"What should we do now?" Autumn asked.  
"Can we go back to your house? Where it's safer?"  
"How about yours? It's quieter."

"Fine," Lina grabbed Autumn's hand again and they headed off deeper into the suburbs.

* * *

 _Titanium Sherwind, aged 21_  
 _District 9 Escort_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

They supposed things could be worse.

It wasn't that Titanium hated District 9 or anything. They just supposed it was a bit...lackluster. Yes, that was it. Perhaps, with a few extra touches, the district could be fixed up and look a lot better. Maybe some gardens too. Everything was just...so gold! honestly, a spot of green here and there could really do 9 some good.

Titanium had been considering getting a trim for their silver and gold locks and now, they really wished they had. It was so hot and they could feel sweat dripping down the back of their neck. At least they dressed for the weather, in a pearl-coloured toga with a shiny gold belt. Titanium glanced out a window and caught a faint glimpse of their reflection; they had forgotten to take out a contact, giving them one blue eye and one amber eye.

Damn.

"Man, I feel bad for whatever poor sucker is getting chosen. Chelsea's gonna train her kids to rip them to shreds."  
"That's enough, Harper. Don't say things like that."  
"What? We all know she hates me!"  
"Harper! Keep your mouth shut!"

"Gonna have to agree with the lady here," Titanium interrupted. "She makes a fair argument."  
Harper smirked. "I mean, yeah! I did ruin the Odair streak just a little!"

That was true. The death of Chelsea's older brother Malcolm Odair, at the hands of Harper O'Sheppard during the 148th Hunger Games was a big event for the longest time.

Benjamin looked tried. "Alright, I'm done arguing. I don't need another layer of stress to age me up more than it needs to."  
Harper giggled. "But you look wonderful for your age!"

Titanium giggled too, but covered it up with a fake cough. "Shall we proceed then?"  
Benjamin nodded, but Harper wasn't done. "Don't draw any of his grandkids! They're too cute to die!"  
"Harperrrrr..."

Titanium decided it would be best to stay out of this argument. They waited patiently in the Justice Building, until they were given the cue they had been waiting for. As usual, the atmosphere was a heavy one and everybody seemed emotionally drained. Titanium could feel the heat getting to them, but they soldiered on.

"Right...god, it's hot...the lucky lady representing District 9 will be...Autumn Farro!"

A loud scream echoed through the district. Titanium watched, curious, as a young girl stumbled away from the other 15 year-olds, clamping a hand tightly to her mouth. Her dark brown hair was long and curly ans he seemed really tan, almost sunburnt. When she got closer, Titanium noticed a faint scar running down her cheek.

"Any volunteers? No? Typical. And the lucky lad is...ugh, if that Sun doesn't stop shining, I am going to murder someone! Anyways, the male tribute is Jonathan Firre."

Jonathan was a lot younger than Autumn, but Titanium was too annoyed to care. He was quite small too, with light brown locks of hair, bright green eyes, and noticeable markings from childhood adventures. Despite the heat, he shivered and folded his arms across his chest. When his eyes met Titanium's, Jonathan scowled.

"Hurry up tributes, shake hands! Then we can all leave and go inside!"

Once the Reaping was finally over, Titanium collapsed in an armchair inside the Justice Building. They began to close their eyes...until they thought they smelled something burning and they jolted awake. Harper burst out laughing. She was sitting in the chair next to Titanium and smoking another cigarette, much to the disapproval of Benjamin and a nearby Peacekeeper.

As much as Titanium wanted to complain, they were just too glad to be out of the summer heat.

* * *

 **With this chapter, we're officially more than halfway done the Reapings! Isn't that great!? As much as I like introducing the tributes, Reapings just tire me out. A lot.**

 **Ah well, at least we only have 5 more to go.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed the characters in this chapter!**

 **-Vr**


	13. District 10: Dog Days

**Time for some exam-stress-relief. Aka, Psycho Circus.**

* * *

 _Merona Timmons, 12_  
 _District 10 Female_

* * *

 _Four months before the Reaping_

Whenever Merona took Patrick out for a walk, it often consisted of her getting dragged along by the playful hound. Merona blamed it on her size. She had always been small for her age; her parents said she was a "late bloomer" and she'd hit her growth spurt eventually. For now, she was stuck clinging onto the leash as Patrick raced about, apologizing over her shoulder when he almost knocked over a cart.

Once they approached the district lake, Patrick slowed down. He began to drink from the lake while Merona took the opportunity to catch her breath. Walking Patrick used to be so much easier, especially when he was just a tiny puppy. Merona reached out and scratched Patrick behind the ears. He turned to lick her face, losing a mouthful of water in the process and dribbling it all on the surrounding mud.

"What a beautiful dog you have!"  
Merona glanced up. She noticed someone her age standing nearby, twiddling their thumbs together. "You...you wouldn't mind if I pet him...her?"

Merona shook her head as the newcomer pet Patrick on the head. he lumped up onto their legs, then flopped down on his back. Merona watched as Patrick wriggled about. He loved it when people gave him belly rubs, no matter who gave them to him.

"Do you like dogs?" Merona asked softly, hoping that wasn't too stupid of a question.  
"Yeah. I'd love to get someday. My sister's allergic to animals and it's not like we have a lot furless dogs running around."  
"That would suck."

The newcomer giggled. "Yep. I'm Ariel, by the way. I think you're in my class."  
"Really?" Well, this was awkward. "I'm Merona."  
Ariel wiped a fur-covered hand clean on her shirt before offering it to Merona. "Well, it's nice to meet you! And your mutt."

The two of them shared a laugh. Patrick was more interested in running around and stomping through the marshes surrounding the lake. He splashed through the mud as hard as he could, soaking both Merona and Ariel in dirty water. The girls both shrieked.  
"Patrick!" Merona felt really embarrassed. Her cheeks flushed red. She wanted to apologize to Ariel, but then noticed that Ariel was laughing.

"Are you okay?"  
"I just...I just got these pants!"  
"I am so sorry-"

Ariel just shrugged. "It's fine. It's just water. I can just rush these through the wash and everything will come off eventually." She grinned and Merona felt super relieved that her new friend wasn't mad. "Anyways, it was nice meeting you, Merona. See you around sometime?"  
"Yeah..." Merona smiled too. "See you around."

Patrick barked loudly as Merona picked up his leash. "Come on, pupper. Let's go home. You've caused enough mischief for one day."

* * *

 _Ace McCree, 15_  
 _District 10 Male_

* * *

 _The night before the Reaping_

Ace bounded down the stairs, almost slamming into his older brother, preoccupied with sneaking out. "Where are you going?"  
Bodi groaned. "Out. With friends. By myself."  
"Can I come with you?"  
"Absolutely not!"

"Take him with you, Bodi!" Ace's stepmother, Henrietta, called from the kitchen. She and her son, Davy, were cleaning up the kitchen.  
Bodi scowled. "Ugh, fine. But no dumb stories about me like last time!"

Ace saluted in response as Bodi finally opened the door, grabbing a flashlight off the table. The Sun was starting to set, painting the sky overhead. Ace stared up, admiring the pretty colours, but Bodi grabbed the sleeve of his jacket, dragging him along. The flashlight's thin beam lit up the oncoming path.

Ace gawked. "Is that the old McGregor barn!?"  
"Keep your voice down!"

Despite having been abandoned years ago, a faint light glowed within the barn. Bodi was careful and quiet, but Ace just ran ahead of him, until he burst into the barn. Three teenager sat on hay bales with a lantern in front of them. Ace recognized them as Gerald, Jenny, and Balir, Bodi's friends. He quickly joined them on the hay bales. It felt scratchy, but Ace didn't mind.

"What a gross place," Bodi muttered. "Do you know how much animal poop there is outside?"  
Gerald folded his arms and scoffed. "If you're scared, McCree, you should leave. This place ain't for the weak-heartened. As a matter fact, old McGregor's tale ain't for the weak-heartened."

"I'm not weak!" Ace blurted out. Bodi shushed him. Gerald just chuckled. "I know, Ace. That's why you're here tonight. Bo, my man, pass me the flashlight, will ya?"  
As Bodi handed over the flashlight, Blair turned off the lantern. Gerald held the flashlight under his chin, illuminating his entire face.

"McGregor used to live here, you know. Him and his son. Simple life, really. Ride the horse, feed the hens, shave the sheep, milk the cows. Then...when the 50th Hunger Games came up, McGregor could do nothing when his son was Reaped and slaughtered like a pig in the arena. His killer spared no mercy. Saddened by the death, McGregor went on a killing spree, got rid of all his animals. Then, he killed himself."

Ace squeaked as Gerald slowly approached him. "Wanna know why nobody comes here? Because McGregor never truly left. His poor little ghost still lives somewhere in the barn. He gets confused at times...he might see a young man passing by, confuse them for his own son. When night falls and nobody is watching, McGregor strikes. he lures those boys in...then he takes them alive!"

Gerald tackled Ace, knocking both of them until the hay. Ace was laughing hysterically as he attempted to shove Gerald off him. Jenny and Blair were both wiping tears from their eyes and Bodi just dropped his head in his hands. Finally, Ace won over and push Gerald off, scrambling to his feet.  
"Curses!" Gerald shouted in mock anger. "What does your stepmother feed you? You're so slippery!"

Ace giggled, perched on top of the hay bales. He wanted to give a witty response, but he couldn't hold himself together enough to even say a single word. Nobody could. Laughter echoed from the barn. The only person not laughing was Bodi, who took a small peek through his fingers at the situation and bit back a small chuckle.

* * *

 _Merona Timmons, 12_  
 _District 10 Female_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

"Were did he go now!?"  
"I see him! Oh, you mangy pooch!"  
"Come back here!"

Merona jumped up form her bed. The book she had been reading slipped from her hands and fell onto the floor. She thought she heard someone calling for someone else, perhaps her, but she noticed a somewhat-wet Patrick run by her door. Of course. Her parents were trying to give the dog a bath. Funny how he always playing around in water, until it came to clean water.

Merona reached down and scooped up her book. She was a bit disappointed to find out she was now a couple of pages behind, but she had always been a fast reader and would catch up in no time. Ariel had lent her the book, and it was about a young Capitolite who discovered he had powers and was admitted to a special school outside of Panem, where he saved the country from evil rebels. Merona really enjoyed the series, even if it was quiet Loyalist-heavy.

Then again, all fictional novels in Panem were Loyalist-heavy.

Merona flipped through page after page. Her eyes scanned each of the words, reading from left to right, top to the bottom. She made it back to her current page in no time, then finished the entire chapter. Then the next one. And the next one. And the one after that. And one more. She was now only three chapters from the end, which kind of sucked. She'd have to ask Ariel for the next book in the series. Merona often wondered what it would be like to become a wizard, or a witch in her case.

"Merona? Sweetheart?"  
"Yes, Mom?"  
"Breakfast is ready!"

Sure enough Merona could smell homemade pancakes, always a great treat to have. She slipped her favourite bookmark onto the page; it had been a gift from her father. Merona hurried downstairs, where a cleaned-up Patrick sulked in the corner and a huge stack of fluffy pancakes were waiting, just for her. Her stomach growled; she didn't exactly how much time she had spent reading.

"Is that enough for you?" Merona's mother asked.  
" Oh, that's more than enough. Thanks so much." Merona sat down. She picked up her fork, but didn't know where to start. Finally, after drenching the pancakes in sweet and sticky maple syrup, she was finally ready to dig in.

The adventures of the fictional world and magic and wizards and heroes could wait. Pancakes _always_ came first.

* * *

 _Ace McCree, 15_  
 _District 10 Male_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

"Jeez, Ace!" Davy sighed. "Do you have to sneak up on me when I'm in the shower?"  
"Sorry," Ace mumbled. He stepped backwards and bumped into the sink. He, Davy, and Bodi all shared the same cramped bathroom, which made sharing space a bit of a struggle. Ace knelt down and began rummaging through the tiny cupboards underneath their sink.

"Are you looking for something?"  
"Hair gel."  
"You mean Bodi's hair gel? You know he gets mad when you touch it."  
"Henrietta said I could use it."

Davy chuckled and wrapped a towel around his waist. "Well, if Bodi wants to pick an argument with her, that's his funeral." He headed off to his room.  
Ace finally found the bottle of hair gel, poorly hiding from his sight. He picked it up, then almost slipped one of the puddles Davy left behind. Once in his bedroom, Ace quickly changed into the outfit Henrietta left out for him, consisting of a T-shit without any marks on it and a new pair of pants. He poured a huge amount of gel in his hands and spread it all over his hair. Finally, for once his curls were smoothed down.

There was a knock at the door. "Ace? Have you gotten dressed yet?"  
"Yep!" Ace quickly straightened his clothes as Henrietta opened the door. "Oh good, everything fits. Do you like it, Ace?"  
"Yep!"

Henrietta smiled as she brushed away some lint from the shirt. "You look handsome."  
"Handsome?" Ace placed his hands on his hips. "Am I very handsome?"  
"Oh, very, very, handsome. You look just like your father when he was your age."

Ace perked up. Everyone he knew said the resemblance was strong. "I miss him, Henrietta."  
"I miss him too, baby." Henrietta gave her stepson a hug. "But...these things happened. He was a good man, though. Lived a good life. Just like you, he never got his curly hair under control. Except he'd never dress up and always wore these tight leather pants."

Ace snorted. "Bodi hates those pants because he says they cut off oxygen to the-"  
"I never said that!" Bodi yelled from his room. Somewhere in the hall, Davy cackled.

Henrietta sighed. "Bodi McCree, I swear! You know better than to listen to him, Ace."  
Ace nodded, then patted down his hair one last time. A small curl broke free and sprung back up. Ace sighed and reached for the hair gel again. "Henrietta, can you do it?"

* * *

 _Prisma Caelanos, 21_  
 _District 10 Escort_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

 _Such a clear day,_ Prisma thought to herself. _Not a cloud in the sky._

Maybe she'd be tempted to paint a similar scene, using today as an inspiration. She hadn't painted in a while. But Prisma was so busy with her job and her engagement and her future wedding. She smiled to herself as she fiddled with the ring on her finger. Like her hair, it was a bright white with hints of silver.

Sadie noticed the ring as well. "Ooh! Who's the lucky guy?"  
"Oh!" Prisma blushed. She let go of the rings and patted down her rainbow skirt. "You know...somebody."  
"Come on, I can keep a secret! Just tell me! Let's have some girl talk!"

Prisma her head. "Nope. Not telling."  
"Please?"  
"I'm not telling you!"

Pete stood off to the side, wiping away dust from his sunglasses. "Very subtle, Sadie."  
"Thanks, Pete. At least someone appreciates my efforts." Prisma gave her a playful look of offense and Sadie waved her hand dismissively. "What I thought you weren't telling."

Pete gently pulled Sadie away. "Alright, alright, that's enough. The Reaping starts in five minutes."  
The Reaping! Prisma quickly hurried after the Victors, mentally scolding herself for losing track of time. She silently vowed to be on time next year.

District 10 had a hopeful atmosphere. And why not? Pete Vermont had won the previous Quell. Perhaps this time, District 10 would get lucky again? Their last Victor was Wendell York of the 141st Games, which had been quite a few years back.

As Prisma drew the first slip, she held her breath like everyone else. Could this person bring the victory home? Sure, it would be a bit strange if the tribute was a few years older than her, but hopefully, the odds were in the district's favour. They had to be.

"Merona Timmons?"

The crowd shifted and to Prisma's surprise, a small 12 year-old girl began to cry. Prisma could feel her heart shatter. An extended age gap for a Quell twist...and a poor little 12 year-old of all people was chosen. Merona was sobbing and her dark brown hair fell in front of her face. Despite her age, she was still pretty small.

Prisma's eyes watered; she blinked the tears away. "An volunteers? No? Right...our male tribute is Ace McCree."

The 15 year-old boy was taller than Merona, but he was still so young. It was clear Ace hadn't anticipated this and he too was on the verge of crying. He had light brown skin and dark brown hair that was extremely curly. He kept glancing at all the eligible boys, as if trying to spot a volunteer.

Prisma glanced behind her at the Victors. Sadie covered her eyes; Prisma remembered that her son was the same age as Ace. Wendell whispered quietly with Richard Pickett of the 109th Games. Pete slowly withdrew his sunglasses. The expression on his face was unreadable, but Prisma caught the hint of sadness in his eyes as he stared at Ace.  
In the Justice Building, she confronted him about it.

"Do you know that kid?"  
"Which one?"  
"Ace. Do you know him?"

Pete shook his head. "Personally? No, we've never met. But I did know Thay McCree."  
"And who exactly is that?"

"His father."

* * *

 **Edit: changed up Merona's last name, with permission of her submitter, to avoid confusion.**

 **Another day, another chapter. We've made it through two-thirds of the Reapings, thank goodness.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed the characters introduced in this chapter! Also, mysterious connections between characters! What do you think of that?**

 **Anyways, next chapter will take place in District 5. Kudos to anyone who figured out my weird Reaping pattern because sometimes, I don't even understand it myself.**

 **-Vr**


	14. District 5: Dead-End World

**It feels so good to be almost done with the Reapings. Bit by bit, we're getting closer to the end!**

* * *

 _Aldair Indira, 25_  
 _District 5 Male_

* * *

 _5 days before the Reaping_

Hugging a bag full of groceries, Aldair set on his way home.

District 5 was full of the usual bustle. Adults were excited to escape the factories after a long day of work. Children ran to and fro, excited to show off their new training techniques they learned from 5's Academy. The Sun was still high, but it too would set and retire for the night.

Aldair rummaged through the bag, just to make sure he hadn't dropped anything. Rory and Herbie were extremely insistent on him buying a certain type of sourdough bread, even though Aldair didn't know that there were different types. But that wasn't something he really felt like questioning right now.

The factories gradually melted away and more homes popped up as Aldair continued from the industrial area of the district into one of the residential communities. A woman opened her door and kissed the man on the other side. A pair of young girls played with a skipping rope. One teenager had gotten his hands on a skateboard and was now trying off some moves on the street.

For the most part, everything seemed typical. Until Aldair came across a boy sitting on the ground, crying. A small pool of blood was located underneath his leg. Aldair carefully cradled his shopping bag in his arms and knelt down next to the boy. "Hey...is everything alright?"

"I'm fine!"  
"Are you sure about that? You seem hurt."  
"I...I just fell and scraped my knee! It's only a little bit of blood!"

Aldair rummaged through the shopping bag. Thank goodness he had planned on replenishing the medical cabinet of the house he shared with his friends. He found a new roll of bandages and opened it up. "Can you show me where you're bleeding?"

The boy reluctantly stretched out his leg. His knee was scraped, but nothing a little bandage couldn't fix. Aldair wrapped the bandage around the boy's knee, then tucked in the loose end. "There you go. Now, where are your parents?"  
The boy pointed towards a house across the street. "I live over there."

"And do your parents know you're out here?"  
"Um...no."  
"Run along now." Aldair stood up. "A scab will form in a day or two; you'll be fine."

Everything seemed typical once Aldair arrived home. He couldn't see his friends, but he did hear some strange noises upstairs. Aldair decided not to investigate. Instead, he went straight for the kitchen, looking for some dinner.

A plate sat on the counter, with a note next to it. _Leftovers._ Aldair brought the plate over to the table and sat down to eat.

* * *

 _Amperia Fremont, 22_  
 _District 5 Female_

* * *

 _20 days before the Reaping_

Another day.

Another day of waking up in the same melancholy state over and over. Another day of the dull trek towards a dead-end job that she couldn't stand. Another day of malfunctioning equipment over bitter coffee, and screaming coworkers with the overseer watching on in disapproval.

If Amperia had it her way, things would change.

Somehow.

But now, she was almost falling asleep into her mug, before the sound of sizzling bacon snapped her awake. Standing at the stove, Radia Fremont clicked her tongue, a sign of her displeasure. Amperia rubbed at her eyes. Just as her vision was getting back into focus, she heard her father and brother coming downstairs.

Coiler dropped a a thick stack of papers onto the breakfast table with a loud thud. Joule poured himself a cup of coffee, then gave his wife and daughter a kiss. Amperia just wrapped her hands around her mug, still half-asleep. She pointed her chin in the direction of Coiler's papers. "What's that?"

"Just some assignments I need to hand in."  
Amperia didn't need to look up to know her mother was staring at her. "Right...I hope you pass."  
"I hope so too."

Breakfast passed by, then Coiler left for school, while everyone else went to work. As usual, Amperia joined the line of people entering the factory. She punched in was she was inside. She said a brief hello to some coworkers, then met up with Ion and Covalence. Ion nodded in acknowledgement, while Covalence continued chattering away. Amperia tuned her out, pressing the same old buttons, staring at the same old dials, as the same old day began yet again.

There had to be something she was missing. There had to be a silver lining to this job, to keep her going. There had to be more than life. Amperia wanted to find it. Needed to find it. She was stuck in a rut, all the energy and positivity sucked form her, leaving her dry. She wanted to push through. She wanted to break free.

But she didn't know how.

So instead, Amperia continued on with life. She pressed buttons and watched dials. She broke ten minutes after noon for lunch, then headed back to work. She carried on until 5 o'clock, until a bell rang and everyone field from their stations to leave, Amperia among them. She just continued forwards, always marching in a circle, doing the same thing she had done for three years.

* * *

 _Aldair Indira, 25_  
 _District 5 Male_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

"Rise and shine, sleepin' beauty," Rory snickered, handing Aldair a cup of coffee. "Overslept, huh?"  
"Did I miss work?"  
"Dude, the factories are always closed on Reaping Day."

"Oh yeah." Aldair took a sip of coffee; it was a bit too sugary for his taste. "Actually, staying home doesn't sound so bad. By the way, you and Herbie should really fix your bedframe. I heard it making grunting noises from across the hall."  
"That wasn't the...you know, let's pretend it was the bedframe." Aldair grimaced and Rory laughed, punching him in the shoulder. "Oh come on, you like listening in on us."

"Not when it's late and I'm trying to sleep." Aldair yawned for emphasis. "What are you up to today?"  
"Eh, not much. Probably doing the laundry."  
"I can help."

Rory shook his head. "Nah, I'm good."  
"Well, I can help with something!" Aldair yawned again. "I insist."  
"Right...and I insist you go take a nap."

"I am fine." Aldair slumped into his chair. "I'm good...just needed the coffee."  
"Whatever. I'm gonna go wake up Herbie."  
"Okay..."

Once Rory left, Aldair stood up and started poking through the cupboards, looking for some pans so he could start breakfast. He figured it would be a nice things to do with his friends. Upstairs, Rory could be heard trying to wake up Herbie...unsuccessfully. Rummaging in the fridge, Aldair found some eggs, milk, and bread. He prepared a batch of French toast and dumped it into a stack on one plate as Rory carried Herbie down the stairs.

"Ugh, you lazy bastard...Aldair, I thought I told you to go take a nap!"  
"I'm not tired!"  
"And I'm not complaining." Herbie took a fork and stabbed it into the food. "Mmm, breakfast. Come on, try some!"

"Oh, fine." Rory snatched the plate away, offering Aldair the chance to get some food first. "Are you sure you have the energy to stay awake?"  
Aldair nodded. "Once you two finally fix the bedframe."

* * *

 _Amperia Fremont, 22_  
 _District 5 Female_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

Amperia mused offer the textbook in front of her. "Hmmm. Okay, I see what to do here."  
"Did I do it right?" Coiler asked.  
"I think you're supposed to divide and multiply first."

Coiler's hand hit his forehead. He began erasing away at his answer. "I always forget to do that! I'm an idiot."  
"No you're not. Everyone makes mistakes."  
Coiler began to tap the pencil against the textbook. "Hey, where's Mom?"

Amperia glanced out the doorway and into the hall. The door to her parents' bedroom remained closed. "Still sleeping. Are you looking for her?"  
"No, I just...can you keep this between us?"  
"Of course."

Coiler sighed. "I don't know what I want to do after I graduate."  
"You mean...as a job?"

"Yeah. It would be cool if I could work in the Justice Building like Candella, but I don't have the credits for that and I'm not fully interested in working with politics. I don't want a factory job because they're so underpaid and boring...er, no offense. I know I'm probably gonna end up going to the college first, but I'm still keeping my options open for opportunities but nothing really appeals to me. I wanna work somewhere where I actually love my job, but..."

Amperia shrugged, completely unsure on what to say. "Um...well...there's stuff."  
"Like what?"  
"The Training Academy. They're always looking for trainers, and you'd only have to brush up on weapons and survival knowledge? Or an overseer?"

Coiler continued tapping the pencil against the textbook. "I don't know if I want to become a trainer or an overseer. I just...I'm trying not to panic, but it's such a hard decision. What do I do?"  
"I really don't think I'm the person you should be asking," Amperia muttered. "Based off experience."  
"No, I'm not asking you because of that! I'm asking because I trust you."

Amperia frowned. "With what?"  
"The fact that no matter what I choose to do, you'll never judge me. You'll be happy no matter what. Therefore, I can trust you."

Amperia's response was to give her brother a hug.

* * *

 _Sandrus Lemar, 18_  
 _District 5 Escort_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

Sandrus did not expect to start off Reaping Day with the sight of Kelvin Junicho, Victor of the 144th Hunger Games, in a wheelchair.

It seemed to have gained mixed reactions from everyone. Katarina Cashley was completely emotionless. Surge Gunrad just collapsed into an armchair and sighed. Carmichael Park stood in the corner, wiping tears from his eyes. "It's not fair," he muttered to himself. "It's not fair. It's not fair."

Sandrus wasn't sure what to say. He had always considered the possibility of writing the biography of a Victor someday and Kelvin seemed like a really good choice for a future bestseller. before he could approach the Victor, Carmichael interrupted him. "Must you stick your nose somewhere it doesn't belong?"

Sandrus rolled his eyes. "I'm an escort. I'm allowed to be here."  
"Kelvin wants nothing to do with you right now." Carmichael gestured towards the notepad and fountain pen in Sandrus's hands. "Nobody in the Capitol lets a District man die with dignity. So I highly suggest you take that pen of yours and shove it up your ass."

Kelvin slowly raised up a hand. "Carm..."  
"What!? You said yourself you didn't want anyone-"  
"Carm. Behave yourself. Please."

Carm folded his arms and scowled. Kelvin didn't seemed too bothered. "He's rude to everyone; don't think too much about it. Anyways, how can I help you?"  
"Do you think I could schedule an interview with you sometime? I want to write a Victor's biography someday, and I thought...y'know..."  
Kelvin shifted in his wheelchair. "Well...I suppose a quick interview later today..."  
"We can have it on the train."

Kelvin shook his head. "Oh, I'm not mentoring this year."  
Before Sandrus had the chance to ask, a Peacekeeper poked him in the shoulder. "The Reaping will begin in 10 minutes."

"Oh, right." Sandrus shoved the notebook into the pocket of his blazer and tucked the pen behind his ear. He ran a hand through his curly black hair. Despite the Sun, a cool breeze was running through the district; Sandrus was glad he brought his blazer with him.

There was a rather tense atmosphere in 5. All the men and women who once believed themselves to be safe from the Reaping stood in the closest sections to the stage. None of them smiled and Sandrus felt awkward. There was a good chance that the tribute he picked would be older than him.

The procedure was straightforward and Sandrus had seen it many times on television, but this felt much more real to hm. This was his first time as an escort. When he stepped onto the stage, he felt a rush of adrenaline and nerves. Part of him wanted to run away screaming. Instead, he ignored that part and drew the first slip.

"Amperia Fremont."

For a second, Sandrus thought he had Reaped a teenager, but a small woman slowly shuffled towards him. She had blue eyes and her skin was littered with burn marks from whatever factory incidents. Her most notable feature was her bright red hair pulled back into a ponytail. Amperia's eyes darted back and forth, before a completely neutral look washed over her face, as if she couldn't be bothered to care about her fate any longer.

Sandrus took a quick breath before reaching into the second glass ball, coming up with a new slip. "Aldair Inderia."

Aldair wasn't too hard to find, because he was extremely tall. He had dark skin, dark brown eyes, and messy black hair that stuck out all over the place. He seemed rather shocked, but by the time he reached the stage, any fear melted away and he was grinning to himself instead.

 _That wasn't so hard,_ Sandrus thought. Sure, it was a bit weird for him to be younger than both tributes, but he survived his first Reaping as an escort. Inside the Justice Building, he waited patiently for Kelvin, until the Peacekeepers sent him off to the train. Grudgingly, Sandrus obeyed.

Katarina and Carmichael were already waiting. Katarina couldn't be bothered by Sandrus's arrival, but it was rather clear Carmichael wasn't happy to see him. Sandrus sat down from across the Victors, who just ignored him. So much for getting an interview.

But there would be plenty of chances later. Somehow, Sandrus was gong to end the 150th Games with some new stuff for a new book. He just had to keep his eyes on the prize and try to not fuck up his escorting duties too much on the way there.

* * *

 **Finally, almost done the Reapings! Sorry this took a little longer to get out; I was really tired this month and running low on motivation. But hey, I got the chapter finished, so it's worth it.**

 **Also, quite a few people seem to have caught on to my silly little order. So District 6 is up next! Stay tuned for that chapter sometime in March!**

 **-Vr**


	15. District 6: Cheap Booze and Spare Parts

**A reminder that submissions for Vr's new SYOT, Too Much Heaven, are still open! Submissions close on March 31st.**

 **Trigger warning: mentions of underage sex, drinking, and drugs in Deloris's POVs. Please proceed with caution.**

* * *

 _Deloris Malin, 14_  
 _District 6 Female_

* * *

 _Eight months before the Reaping_

Deloris let out a small whistle at the man in front of her. "Come on, I'm free tonight! I'd totally be down for it if you are!"  
Seric quickly downed the rest of his whiskey. "Sweetheart, you're a kid. You shouldn't even be here."  
Deloris giggled and sloshed around the wine in her glass. "So? Like I said, whatever you want, I'm all for it!"

"Go find your mother," Seric hissed, before slinking off to get another drink.

Deloris just rolled her eyes. The sounds of the dance floor began calling to her, where people cheered and sang, and screamed, and just had a good time. Some guy in a leather jacket stood on a makeshift stage with a bass guitar plugged into a sorry-looking amp. Every time he plucked the string, the vibrations caused the whole floor to shake and Deloris's heart to jump up and down in her chest. It was amazing the organ was still inside of her.

And it reminded her why she loved coming to this place.

Deloris finished off her wine and headed onto the dance floor. It was crowded and smelled of sweat, but nobody seemed to care about the 14 year-old girl in their midst. Which was fine with Deloris because she didn't care either. She was here for a good time and she would rather be young and lively than old and boring. And she was going to stay like this until she dropped dead from all the dancing or overdosed on cheap booze.

Whichever came first.

Deloris swung her arms to the beat of the bass, feeling wild and free. As she spun around, someone tapped her on the shoulder. It was a redhead somewhere in his late twenties, and he was staring her down. Deloris just shrugged. "Like what you see?"  
"I suppose you must be very tired from all the dancing."  
"I could do this all night!" Deloris laughed. "Although I am quite...thirsty..."

"Ah, right. Allow me to buy you some drinks. What's your poison of choice?"  
"Whatever you like, mister."

Deloris followed the man to the bar, where he ordered some shots of rum. They took turns gulping the liquor down. It was an amazing feeling, the burning inside Deloris's throat. Sure, things would suck the next morning, coupled with waking up in a stranger's bed with her clothes strewn across the floor. A night most girls would regret.

But Deloris wasn't like most girls, was she?

She had no shame, hanging onto some handsome boy's arm like a lifeline, as she drunkenly stumbled on her way back to his house, because that's what Deloris Malin did. And she'd be damned if she had things any other way.

* * *

 _Ezra Kiskov, 19_  
 _District 6 Male_

* * *

 _Ten months before the Reaping_

The smell of chemicals was so strong that it brought tears to Ezra's eyes. He blinked them away, glad that he remembered his protective gear. A lab coat, scrubs, goggles, and a scrunchie to keep his hair pulled back. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling he had forgotten something...

"You're late," the overseer said, tapping his clipboard. "Again."  
"Sorry about that," Ezra muttered.  
"Don't be sorry, Mr. Kiskov. Be on time!" The overseer scowled, then marched off. Ezra made his way to his work bench. Pippa was there and already hard at work.

"Morning, Kiskov. What's on the agenda for today?"  
"Well, I wanted to expand on the prototype a bit." Ezra typed something into the computer and a small projection of a hovercraft appeared. "I mean, it looks a bit bland and I think we can expand on it. I've got some ideas I want to add and I've drawn up concept for the interior too. Then there's the safety features; trust me, it will all make sense when we get to the manufacturing stage...does this all sound boring to you?"

Pippa shook her head. "No, it's fine. I get it."

The next few hours were spent toying around with the projection, adding details or taking them away. As excited as Ezra was, Pippa still had to pull him back so she could contribute something herself. Ezra didn't really mean to hog up so much of the project. He just really wanted to work on the hovercraft. Who could blame him for began so passionate for something he liked to do?

"You seem really excited," Pippa said once they finally took a lunch break. She sat down across from him at a wobbly table in the break room. "Really doesn't take much to rile you up, huh?"  
Ezra just shrugged and bit into his sandwich. "I just like what I'm doing."  
"That's perfectly fine." Pippa gathered up all her garbage into a tight little ball. "And it's good to like what you do."

Ezra chuckled and absentmindedly flicked his wrapper across the table. A whistle blew, almost muffling the overseer's shouts of "Back to work!" and the sound of metallic chair legs scraping the floor. Ezra just chucked his wrapper into the trash, ready to get back to work.

Hours passed by. The day would soon be over, but Ezra didn't slow down. He and Pippa fussed over the projection, until they were sure they couldn't be any more pleased with it. With a flick of his wrist, Ezra placed the projection into a small file on the corner of the screen, where he then sent it off to the blueprint department. Once the prints were ready, he and Pippa would join the crew of manufacturers responsible for making the hovercraft a reality.

But that was work for another day.

* * *

 _Deloris Malin, 14_  
 _District 6 Female_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

Deloris woke up in a random bed, smelling of beer, cologne, sweat, and bad decisions.

She didn't think much of it; instead, she leaned over and retched into a wastebin conveniently placed beside the bed. Across the room, her latest one night stand jumped as he fiddled with his clothes. "Watch it, princess. I just got the place cleaned."  
Deloris groaned and flopped backwards. "Ugh...I hate hangovers. You got anything to help?"

"Uh...no. And you need to leave before my girlfriend comes home."  
Deloris cackled as she gathered her clothes off the floor. Soon, she was dressed and back on the streets of District 6. It was still early enough that the only people out were the ones like her, doing the walk of shame back to their houses.

he fresh morning air helped clear up Deloris's boggled mind as she tried to piece together the events of last night. She ended up at the conclusion that it was no different than any other nights she had spent dancing and drinking, then going home with a random man.

At home, the scene was the same like always. Deloris's older sister, Kalli Malin was busy nursing a hangover while her girlfriend, Elle, chuckled to herself and rolled up a joint. Deloris simply held her hand out and Elle passed the joint over.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Where were you last night?"  
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Deloris took a small puff of the joint. "Ah, that's the spot."

"You're gonna get knocked up, like that friend of your...what was her name...Leah?"  
"Lana." Deloris passed the joint back to Elle, then sat down next to her sister. "Morning, Kalli! What did I miss?"

"Ughhhh..." Kalli dropped her head on the table. "Go awaaaaaay..."  
"Oh, you're no fun! You're all sober!"

Elle snickered, taking another puff of our joint. "Nope. She ain't sober yet. Come on, Del, let's go get something to eat."  
Kalli lifted her head up slightly. "Right...I don't care what you bring back for me."  
"You can get your own food!" Elle chuckled. Snickering, Deloris followed her into the kitchen.

* * *

 _Ezra Kiskov, 19_  
 _District 6 Male_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

Ezra tore through the streets of District 6, running as fast as his legs could carry him. Despite going at a much faster speed than he thought was possible, he could still feel the time ticking away. Ugh, he had wasted so much time at the lab, he would barely get ready in time for the Reaping.

The residential area where Ezra lived was growing closer. He finally made it to his front door. Surprisingly, Ezra's father, Victor, was still home. The two of them barely acknowledged each other as Ezra hurried up the stairs and splashed some cold water onto his face. After changing from his work outfit into some fresher clothes, he had only thirteen minutes left to make it to the Justice Building.

Luckily, Pippa was waiting for him when Ezra arrived at the Justice Building. "Come on, we've only got five minutes!"  
"I know, I know!"

In the line for check-ins, Pippa turned to face her friends. "So...you nervous?"  
"Yeah. A little." Ezra shrugged. "I thought I wouldn't ever have to do this again."  
"Well, it's just one day. Then, it's no longer our problem."

Ezra nodded. "Okay. We're going back to the lab afterwards, right?"  
"I don't know, it might be closed-"  
"I heard some new shipments were coming in from the factories and I was hoping to see what kind of of parts we can work with!" Ezra jumped back, accidentally stepping on the foot of the person behind him. "Sorry."

"Shipments can wait," Pippa told him. "I heard they were delayed a day anyways."  
"Oh, that sucks."

"Names, please."

They were finally at the front of the line. Ezra gave his name and age to the Peacekeeper, who then pointed at the crowd of teenagers and young adults. Ezra waved goodbye to Pippa, then found a section roped off and marked by the number 19. He spotted some old classmates, and even a few coworkers from the lab. Ezra thought about trying to make an attempt at small talk, but decided against it. Many of them wee glancing around anxiously or keeping their heads low.

The tension was thick.

And the Reaping was about to start.

* * *

 _Armand Lector, 35_  
 _District 6 Escort_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

The first thing Armand did when he arrived in District 6 was hold back Junpei as the older man proceeded to scream and yell threats at his fellow Victor. Spencer was giggling to himself, but the fear in his eyes was visible as he cowered behind two Peacekeepers; they were completely unfazed by the whole thing.

Basically, a normal Reaping day for Armand.

"You fucking bastard!" Junpei screeched. "I swear, I'm going to slaughter you! I'm gonna rip your throat out and chop off your-"  
"Okay, calm down. Calm down!" Armand quickly jumped in front of Junpei, holding his shoulders tight. "Can you tell me in a calm and reasonable voice what's going on?"

Junpei shoved past Armand, pointing at Spencer. "He knocked up my niece!"

 _Uh-oh._

"Hey, it was an accident! Trust me, if I had known, I never would've going anywhere near her! As a matter of fact-"  
"So what!? Doesn't change the fact that you can't keep anything in your pants!"  
For a second, Armand heard one of the Peacekeepers snicker, before covering it up with a cough.

Armand sighed. "While this is probably very concerning and I too would kill Spencer if he did that to my niece, we still have the Reaping to deal with, and then we can all have a nice, civil conversation on the train afterwards. How does that sound?"  
"Piss off," Spencer hissed. Junpei just scowled and flipped him off, before storming away.

Armand's hand hit his forehead. it sucked, that everyone had a job to do, and he was the only one actually doing it. How was it fair that he had to look after two tributes and babysit two Victors, while collecting sponsor funds!? He really would've liked to be back home with husbands and their three kids...two of which were also named Junpei and Spencer.

But someone had to keep things running during the Hunger Games.

The Reaping went off without a hitch, both Victors surprisingly quiet. Armand took that as a good sign. As usual, he didn't put too much effort into his appearance. His dark brown hair was neatly combed back and he wore a clean grey suit. The standout were his contact lenses, giving him bright orange eyes. Armand didn't bother drawing out the Reaping, not when he knew for a fact Spencer and Junpei were glaring at each other behind his back. He quickly drew a name.

"Deloris Malin."

A hysterical laugh broke out somewhere among the back. A small girl with frizzy red hair stumbled and swayed about as she made her way to the stage, clutching her stomach. When she got closer, Armand could smell the alcohol and he had to step back to catch a breath of fresh air. He decided not to comment as Deloris wiped the tears from her eyes and drifted absentmindedly beside him.

"Ezra Kiskov."

This time, the name belonged to an older man, though Armand would have never guessed from appearance alone. He was thin and short. His hair was thick and curly, and his brown skin was littered with burn marks. Similarly to his district partner, he didn't walk in a straight line. A small grin appeared on Ezra's face, then flashed away. Instead, he seemed worried and scared. On the stage, his arm randomly shot out and he grabbed Armand's hand, taking the escort for surprise.

Armand jumped sightly, but kept himself focused. "District 6, I give you your tributes!"

That could've gone a lot worse. In the Justice Building, Armand become to wonder which mentor would be looking over which tribute. He figured it would be best if Deloris and Ezra were separate instead of working together, but that was because he wanted to keep the mentors separate. At least until Junpei calmed down and Spencer finally owned up to his actions.

Eventually.

As another screaming match starting up, Armand could feel his head pounding.

The Hunger Games only lasted a month at most, but the next few weeks were going to fee like an eternity.

* * *

 **Finally got District 6 done! Hoped you liked their tributes and their explosive mentors! Poor Armand.**

 **Don't have much to say here except we're almost done the Reapings. Stay tuned for District 7.**

 **-Vr**


	16. District 7: Taking Care of Business

**Oof, haven't updated in a while. Time for D7!**

* * *

 _Arwan Falconer, 24_  
 _District 7 Male_

* * *

 _The day before the Reaping_

Maeve groaned to herself as Arwan gently eased her down into a rocking chair. "Oh, my back!"  
Arwan placed his hand on his wife's bulging stomach. "Do you need anything? A glass of water? A pillow?"

"I'm good right now." Maeve sighed, leaning back in her chair. She was heavily pregnant, due in a month's time. "Oh, I can't wait to get these little demons out of me. What were they doing last night!? Somersaults!? And all over my bladder too!" She giggled. "Ah, the life of a future mother is never a dull one."

"But I've told you, you'll do great." Arwan kissed her on the cheek. "There's no woman I would choose to raise my children over you-"  
"Arwan! Where are you? Mom and Dad need some help in the shop!"

"I'll be there in a minute." Arwan took a strand of Maeve's hair, tucking it behind her ear. "I'll be back, alright? Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone."  
"I'll try not to."

Accompanied by his younger brother, Beren, Arwan made his to way to the butcher's shop that sat just across the street. Nuada and Wyona Falconer were hard at work, serving up the constant flow of orders that had come in for families that wanted to prepare feasts on Reaping Day. Arwan tied an apron around his waist, pulled on some gloves, and joined in. From slicing up meat to serving up the crowd of people outside, he didn't get a single chance to stop and think.

Eventually, the day was over and the shop began to clean up for closing. Nuada gave his oldest son a pat on the shoulder. "Time to go, kid. Thanks for the help."  
"No problem." Arwan handed back his apron. When he got home, Maeve was busy preparing something on their little stove. Arwan reached around her to give her a hug.

"No trouble today?"  
"Not today. Now let go, I'm hungry." Maeve gave him a playful shove. "Unless you want me to burn your food."  
"I'd rather you not."

"Then get off!"  
"You know I love you."  
"I do too."

Arwan smiled and thanked his lucky stars for the amazing wife he had.

* * *

 _Grey Hemlock, 23_  
 _District 7 Female_

* * *

 _Two weeks before the Reaping_

"Ouch!"

Grey jumped back and groaned as the iodine seeped into her cuts. "Why does it have to hurt so much?"  
Magnolia Hemlock shook her head at her daughter. "Honestly Grey, how do these things happen?"

Beside Grey, her younger brother Cedar had been tasked with holding the iodine bottle and sacrificing his hand for Grey to squeeze whenever the sensations became to much too handle. Magnolia scrubbed the cotton ball over the cuts again. Grey hissed. "Ow!"  
"Hold still!"

"It stings! I'm sorry, but it stings so bad!"  
"I told you to hold still!"  
Cedar sighed to himself and relaxed his hand, right before Grey grabbed it again as Magnolia dabbed more iodine on her cuts.

Between the bickering, nobody heard the front door open, then slammed shut. A few moment later, Grey's father was standing in the kitchen, watching the scene. He just sighed. "What happened? Grey, what did you do now?"

"It wasn't me! I saw some Peacekeeper chewing out someone because he couldn't meet his daily quota! So I told the Peacekeeper to mind his business!"  
"Be honest."  
"Fine, I told him to go fuck off. And then he got all mad and threatened to get me whipped! So I flipped the bird and he...ow!" Another hiss as Grey yanked her arm away from her mother. "He had it coming! He was trying to harass someone who did nothing wrong!"

Juniper Hemlock sighed, placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Grey, I think you need to start looking at a different approach to conflict. One that doesn't involve you lashing out and getting yourself hurt. You know that you need to control your temper, rather than just lose it."

"Oh yeah, just back down! Always a great choice! Mind as well let those damned Peacekeeper kill us all then, because that's not going to work!"  
"You don't have to get all passive like that," Cedar muttered and Grey just glared at him. "Just be reasonable instead of getting mad."

"There's no way they'll ever take me seriously!"  
"This isn't about Peacekeepers taking your seriously," Magnolia sighed. She screwed the cap back onto the iodine. "This is about keeping you from getting into arguments which escalate into fights and end with you looking the way you are right now. It's about you and your safety."

"Well, if I don't do it, who will!?" Grey pushed past her family and marched upstairs. She suddenly paused in front of her room; she could still hear her parents whispering to each other. "Fine! Let us fall victim to those bastards! Nothing will happen and you're all a bunch of pushovers!"  
"...doesn't know how to control herself!" Magnolia was saying. "We've never had this problem with Acacia! But, oh my god. She's going to get herself killed!"  
"It's not too rebellious, just only against the Peacekeepers," Juniper replied. "And they don't seemed to be bothered to care. But yes, I am worried she'll get a little too carried away."

"Something's going to happen to her."  
"Something might happen."

Grey just sighed and stomped off.

* * *

 _Arwan Falconer, 24_  
 _District 7 Male_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

"You're doing excellent, Mrs. Falconer," the doctor said once she was finished with Maeve's examination. "Everything appears to be in good condition and I think you'll have some healthy pregnancies next month."  
"That's amazing." Maeve sighed with relief. She gave Arwan's hands a squeeze. "Hear that, babe? They're going to be healthy."  
"I know, dear. I know."

The doctor began scribbling something down on a sheet of paper. "I advise you to continue with your routine and take care of yourself. I'm sure you know how to do that. Are you sure you don't want to know the genders?"  
Arwan shook his head. "No, we're good. We'd rather it be a surprise."

"We've got names picked out, of course." Maeve giggled. "Whether we've got two boys, two girls, or one of each. We've come prepared!"  
Arwan agreed. "That's true."

Thy were still in a bit of a daze as they headed for home. Maeve was all giddy, like every single other time she visited the doctor and got a checkup on their future babies. "Parents, Arwan. Parents! I'm gonna be a mommy soon! I can't believe it! I still can't believe it!"  
"But you've been carrying them for eight months."

"Well, that doesn't change anything!" Maeve planted a kiss on her husband's cheek. "I'm still as excited as I was when we first found out."  
"You know what, I am too." Arwan helped Maeve back into her favourite rocking chair. "But I'm glad we're doing this together."

"So am I. And I've told you a million times, you'll do great. Now I've got to go get changed. I want to look nice for the Reaping."

Arwan groaned. "You still have to attend?"  
"I'll be fine, babe. I can support myself."  
"No, it's not that. What happens if you get Reaped? I can't lose all three of you!"

"I'm not going to get Reaped-"  
"You don't know that! And I just can't not worry."

Maeve gave him a hug. "Arwan, don't worry. I don't have many slips and neither do you. We'll make it through, then we won't have to worry for a long time, okay?"  
"I love you."  
"I do too."

* * *

 _Grey Hemlock, 23_  
 _District 7 Female_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

"Hi, baby!" Grey picked up her niece, Maple, and swung her around. "My, look at you! You're getting big!"  
Maple giggled and grabbed at Grey's face. Every Reaping, it was a tradition for the Hemlock family to breakfast, then walk to the Justice Building together. To Grey, it was the one good thing about Reaping Day. Especially when they managed to cram so many people under one roof.

Grey's parents were in the kitchen, working together to create a large stack of pancakes for everyone. And for the occasion, they had splurged on a bottle of maple syrup. Grey couldn't wait to dig in. According to her, pancakes just weren't complete without syrup.

"C'mon, you," Grey said, carrying Maple into the dining room. Her brothers were setting the table. Acacia, the eldest Hemlock sibling, giggled as she, her husband, and her other daughter followed behind Grey. "It feels good to be home."  
Grey put Maple down. "Well, it's nice to have you back."

Breakfast was awesome.

The table was constantly full of conversation. Grey dug into her pancakes, passed the trays of food around, talked, smiled, and laughed. Acacia shared a terrible story about her latest baby cravings. Juniper announced his new promotion at work.  
"So," Acacia said to Grey. "How's work? I heard you got into a little scuffle?"  
"The usual. Peacekeepers being arrogant pricks again."

Acacia giggled. "You're a feisty one."  
"Someone has to be."

Another giggle and Acacia let the subject drop. Good; Grey was more interested in breakfast than having to put up with Peacekeepers. Despite how much she dreaded the Reaping, she was still going to enjoy herself and the company. The conversations slowly died out as everyone began to eat.

* * *

 _Eleanor Lightmoor, 23_  
 _District 7 Escort_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

Ugh, District 7.

If Eleanor had a choice, she would've preferred not to be here. District 7was _sooooo_ lackluster in comparison to 1, 2, or even 4. Why live here when you could live somewhere else instead? She was a city girl at heart, and all these trees were just not her thing.

The mentors were also boring: Eleanor didn't understand how they could mope around on a day like this. It was the Quarter Quell, for crying out loud! This was supposed to be exciting!

Ugh, district folk.

"Hello?" Eleanor snapped her fingers in front of Birch Absalane's face. "Is anyone home?"  
"Huh?" Birch jolted awake, before she started sagging again. "Ugh...sorry...late night..."

"She'll be fine," said Freida Spelburg, the other mentor. Freida picked up a pitcher and poured some liquid from it into a glass. "Would you like something to drink? Some lemonade?"  
"Lemonade?" Eleanor snorted. "What a basic drink!"

Freida just shrugged, sipping nonchalantly at her glass. "I made it myself. My boys like it. Nothing beats a cool drink on a hot day."  
"What is that? It's not pink lemonade? No mint or sweeteners added? Ugh!" Eleanor threw her hands up in the air. "You people have no sense of style or taste!"

"So you don't want anything to drink?"  
Eleanor groaned. "Ugh, I'll put up with it. Not like you have anything better to offer, right? Do you mind adding some sugar cubes for me?"

Freida just smiled at pointed to the bowl of sugar cubes. "Help yourself."

Eleanor seethed as the mentor walked off. What would it take to get some decent service around her!? She was their escort for crying out loud; she deserved some respect! But unfortunately, she'd just have to make do. At least she'd only be in 7 for a little bit. In the Capitol, she'd have a much better time.

Plus, she had a front-row seat to the 150th Hunger Games.

Eleanor straightened her short blond hair and plopped in her contacts. Now, her eyes were a bright purple. She was wearing a pair of three-inch heels and it gave her a bit of satisfaction to see that nobody could catch up to her height. She felt a sense of superiority in towering over them all. She had on a bright blue tank top with a metallic gray skirt underneath. Thank goodness. She'd be bale to stand out among all the brown and green.

Too bad District 7 didn't seem too thrilled to see her.

Of course, they didn't know how lucky they were to have her represent them as their escort. Eleanor just huffed and drew the first name. "Grey Hemlock!"

Surprisingly, the woman who moved nearly came up to Eleanor's shoulder. She had choppy brown hair, ashen skin, freckles all over her face, and a jagged scar running down her eye. She clearly didn't run to be here, as evidenced by her choice words as she screamed and failed against the Peacekeepers dragging her up to the stage. Eleanor almost sympathized with her. She wished she could run away herself, off to a better district.

"Fuck you," Grey muttered once she was finally standing next to Eleanor. The escort chose to ignore her and picked a second name. She had managed to give District 7 one contender; she hoped to be as lucky the second time.

"Arwan Falconer!"

Again, movement from a man in the crowd, rather than a teenage boy. Arwan was extremely burly and pale, slowly shuffling into Eleanor's view. He was frowning, but kept his gaze towards the ground until he got to the stage, where he began looking around, perhaps trying to spot someone he knew.

"7, your tributes!" Eleanor screamed into the microphone as Arwan and Grey grudgingly shook hands. "Thank me later!"

The crowd began to mumble and disperse as Eleanor let go off the microphone and sashayed into the Justice Building. She made it through the Reaping. The most boring part of the Games were over. Now she couldn't wait for the real action to begin.

* * *

 **Finally, District 7 is up! Hope you guys enjoyed these tributes (it's been a while since we had a district where both tributes were over the typical age range) and their not-so-nice escort!**

 **Just one more chapter to go and we'll be out of the Reapings! I guess I'd have to agree with Eleanor a little. Reapings are fun, but they can be a little tedious to write at times. I promise the next chapter will come out faster. You can blame Mars for this one.**

 **-Vr**


	17. District 8: Poets

**Trigger warning: this chapter contains deadnaming and intentional misgendering. Please proceed with caution.**

* * *

 _Rachel Verona, 16_  
 _District 8 Female_

* * *

 _Three months before the Reaping_

"Rachel, stop moving!"  
"I can't help it! Your hands feel weird!"  
"Oh, grow up!"  
"Ha ha-OW!"

Rachel rubbed at the spot where Camilla poked her with the needle. "That wasn't nice!"  
"I warned you!" Camilla waved the needle teasingly, then went back to sewing. "Is it too long, or does it feel fine?"

"It's fine!" Rachel glanced down at the costume she was wearing: a soft purple gown with lace that Camilla was attaching. "I told you, I love it. You're amazing."  
"I can't give all the credit. Quinn told me that somebody looked good in purple. And what kind of friend am I if I didn't make sure you looked your best up on the stage?"  
"Oh, I better look my best."

"Girls, girls!" Mrs. Cuimbo, the teacher running the school musical, hurried up to them with a clipboard. "Just a reminder that we're starting the dress rehearsal in half an hour. So I need everyone in their costumes. And that looks beautiful. Well done, Camilla!"  
"Thank you, miss!"  
"Hey, what about me?"

"Ah yes, it looks perfect on you, Rachel!" Mrs. Cuimbo smiled. "I hope you memorized your lines. Remember, dress rehearsal! Oh, hello Quinn."  
"Hey miss." Quinn took Rachel's hand and gave her a kiss. "My, don't you look lovely."  
"Oh, stop it! You flirt!"

"I'm being serious." Quinn gave Rachel's hand another kiss and they both began to blush. "Hey, where did DJ go? I thought they'd be showing up to rehearsal?"  
Rachel groaned. "Oh, him? Yeah, I don't know where he went."  
"Isn't DJ a they?"

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Rachel rolled her eyes. "You know him. Always going in and out of these phases. But yeah, he wasn't happy with having to be my understudy so he dropped out. But he'll be fine; he'll be over it in like a week."  
"Well, I was just wondering." Quinn shrugged. "They're my friend. But if you say so. Can I hear you read your lines?"

"No! At rehearsal!"  
"Please?"

Rachel sighed with mock frustration. How ever could she combat Quinn's puppy eyes?

"Alright." Rachel picked up her script. "You go first. I want to hear your parts."  
"No, you go first!"  
"No, I love you, so you go first!"

Camilla huffed, grabbed Rachel's script, rolled it up, and smacked both of them on the head. Them they all laughed.

* * *

 _DJ Verona, 16_  
 _District 8 Male_

* * *

 _Three months before the Reaping_

Today had been a good day, and DJ wasn't planning on letting anything bring them down.

They finally went to their first Poetry Club meeting and the people there had been nice to them. The few who read DJ's poem really liked it, but also offered to useful tips to help them better improve their writing. DJ had been doing just that ever since they got home, writing until their pencil broke and they were called downstairs for dinner.

The table had been set for 4. DJ, Rachel, their parents. Stan was out with friends and Roger was probably working an overtime shift. DJ felt a little disappointed; having their big brothers was like having a buffer between them and Rachel. Normally, she kept her mouth shut when more people were present. They were not in the mood for Rachel bringing them down today, especially when today had been such a good day.

"Rehearsal went so well today!" Rachel was bragging when DJ sat down. "Mrs. Cuimbo is so proud of me, because I memorized my lines better than everyone else! I can't wait until the actual performance, though! It's so exciting and challenging to be the main character!"  
"That's wonderful, sweetheart," David Verona said. He turned his attention over to DJ. "How about you, son?"

DJ cringed. "Meh."  
"Well?" DJ's mother, Juliet, asked. "How was your day?"  
"Meh. Nyeh. Not much happened. Joined the Poetry Club. That's it."

Rachel sneered. "Can't imagine why they'd let you in. At least their ravens are decent company."  
"Rachel..." Juliet warned.  
DJ folded their arms. "It's quite challenging too, _Rachel,_ especially to make friends there. You see, one needs to be as talented as their ego is big. Or else their ravens pluck out your intestines and you become the next sacrifice."  
"Hey!" David glared at DJ. "That was uncalled for. Apologize to your sister."

"Oh, but she gets away with making fun of me?" DJ retorted. "I see how it is! It's not fucking fair! You let her get away with everything! She's been laughing at me and calling me the wrong pronouns for months! How is that fair!?"  
"Because it's stupid!" Rachel hissed. "You're a guy! This is why Quinn wants nothing to do with you."

"What does he see in you!? Guy or girl, you've got nothing that anybody with half a brain cell could love!"  
"David Verona!"

"Don't 'David' me!" DJ screamed. "Don't call me that ever again!"

They ran. Away from the table and up the stairs. They could hear Rachel giggle and their parents calling for them, but they didn't dare turn around. DJ slammed their bedroom door shut, then buried themself under the covers, sticking their pillow over their head.

The tears began to fall and DJ didn't bother stopping them. They just cried.

* * *

 _Rachel Verona, 16_  
 _Distirct 8 Female_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

"Good morning!"  
"Morning, baby. Oh!" Rachel gasped in shock. "Are those for me?"

Quinn handed her the bouquet of flowers. "I heard somebody liked purple!"  
"Oh Quinn, you didn't have to-" Rachel was cut of as DJ shoved past her and forced their way outside. Quinn reached out and patted them on the shoulder with a polite greeting, but DJ just ignored him.

"Is DJ okay? I haven't spoken to them in ages."  
"Ah, forget about him. He's like that." Rachel started up the stairs. "Let's go my room! I wanna show you something!"

"Ok!" Quinn gave Rachel his hand and she pulled him along with her. In her bedroom, she quickly retrieved a worn garment bag from her closet. She held it up with glee. "Camilla stopped by yesterday morning to drop this off."

"Is it..." Quinn trailed off as Rachel slowly pulled the gown from its bag. "Oh yes, I remember that! You looked so beautiful in it!"  
"You;re a flirt."

"I'm being honest!" Quinn took the end of the gown, rubbing the material between his fingers. "Really, you were amazing. Purple suits you."  
"If that's the case, help me put this on!"

Quinn chuckled, holding the gown steady for Rachel as she slipped in. Then, she pinned her light brown hair over her head as he zipped up the back of the gown. Rachel pulled it down and the gown swished around her. Even though she last wore it three months ago, it still fit like a glove. She did a little twirl in frotn of her mirror.

Quinn sighed. "Wish I brought my costume. I feel kinda drab compared to you?"  
"Really? Because I think you look good in anything?"  
"So, can I try on the dress?"

"No, it's mine! Get Camilla to make you one!"  
"Aww..." Quinn hugged her from behind. "You're no fun!"  
"Come on, show some respect for your queen!"

"Yes, my queen." Quinn gave Rachel's hand a kiss ad she felt a flurry of butterflies in her stomach. But it was an amazing feeling and she would never, ever trade it for anything else in the world.

Her life was perfect.

* * *

 _DJ Verona, 16_  
 _District 8 Male_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

Today would've been a good day.

Today would've been fine, but someone had to go and ruin it all.

DJ grimaced; they could still feel Quinn's hand pressing down on their shoulder. DJ didn't ask for him to fucking touch them! They thought he knew them damn well enough to respect their personal space! But DJ should've guessed that years of friendship meant as little to Quinn as they did to Rachel.

They decided to try and stop thinking about it. It was stupid, really, how little they were actually over Quinn. No, they needed to let go. He'd been dating Rachel for a little over a year; it wasn't like he was going to notice DJ now, especially when all he did was pass them by.

DJ was now far out of the residential neighbourhoods of 8 and into the city. Despite most of the factories being closed on Reaping Day, people still milled around. DJ found an unattended bench and sat down. From their sweater, they slipped out their notebook and a pencil. They flipped to an empty page, ready to write.

Just like the page, their mind was blank.

DJ sighed in frustration. They hated moments like these, when they wanted to write so badly, but they couldn't, because they had no good ideas whatsoever. DJ didn't like writing without a set theme or topic, because then their poems didn't turn out so good. They needed to poems to be good, no, _amazing_. They needed their poems to be a work of art, that everybody admired, turning all heads and potentially making a few people jealous.

DJ just wanted to be better at something than Rachel.

So they turned to poetry. It had been a hard transition at first, because most members of the Poetry Club were quiet and reclusive, the complete opposite of the loud and talkative Verona family. But no Verona could write like DJ and they didn't mind at all. This was their talent and their talent alone.

Inspiration finally hit them and DJ began to write. After a few minutes, they stopped and read over their work. But their poems just seemed a bit on the darker side. They had written a long sonnet about unrequited love and broken hearts. They had scribbled a few couplets about nothing but anger and jealousy. They didn't feel the least bit inspired.

Slamming their book shut, DJ shoved it back into their sweater and started for home.

Today was supposed to be a good day.

* * *

 _Charlemagne LeBlanc, 26_  
 _District 8 Escort_

* * *

 _Reaping Day_

The one thing Charlemagne really liked about District 8 were all the colourful and pretty fabrics they produced.

Besides that, it was a little boring.

She paced around the insides of the Justice Building, looking for something to do. She chatted a little bit with the mentors, but the conversation died down into boring small talk and she politely excused herself. She phoned her parents, but after a few minutes they hung up and she found herself bored again.

The time until the Reaping seemed to drag on and Charlemagne didn't like the wait. The whole point of this job was so she'd always have something to do but right now, she had nothing to keep her occupied. Ugh, sometimes, the life of an escort was such an uneventful one! Especially during the biggest event of the year! Her big event!

She smoothed out her dress, a low-cut strapless made from shiny red fabric. In her little purse, she pulled out her contacts. Just like that, her eyes went from dark brown to a deep sea green. She ran a hand through her long blue hair and adjusted her heels. She was ready to go.

Too bad everyone else was taking their sweet time.

Charlemagne sank into an armchair and her eyes closed. A few minutes later, she felt someone shaking her awake. It was a Peacekeeper. They didn't say anything, just pointed out the door. Charlemagne took the hint. She stood up, checked herself one last time, put on her best smile, then headed out to meet the rest of the District.

As usual, District 8 didn't seem that excited for the Reaping. The air felt gloomy and depressed, just like every single year before that. Charlemagne just continued to smile, hoping to make the most out of today. At the same time, she was super excited to be representing the district in a Quell year. A Quell!

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!"

As her voice rang through the silent crowd, Charlemagne drew the first name. "Rachel Verona!"

There was some movement in the 16 year-old pen, much to Charlemagne's disappointment; she wished she could've chosen the older tributes that came with an expanded age gap. Nothing stood out to her about Rachel, who had straight brown hair in a ponytail down her back. She had fair skin, hazel eyes, and purple glasses, which she slipped off her face as tears rolled down her cheeks. But she wiped them away and mustered a smile instead.

Charlemagne drew a second name, then hesitated. Didn't she call this name already? "David Verona Junior!"

"DJ!"

Once again, a 16 year-old was picked. David (or DJ?) had to be dragged up by Peacekeepers. He had blue eyes and curly hair was a darker shade of brown and clearly, he had cut it himself at some point. The whole time, he kicked and flailed and cursed. "DJ! It's DJ! Dee! Jay! Call me David one more time and I'll kill you!"  
"Young man-"

"Don't call me a man, I'm agender! NO! Don't touch me! Fuck off! Leave me alone!"  
Beside Charlemagne, Rachel dropped her head into her hands and loudly groaned. Whispers and quiet chatter could be heard from the crowd.

Eventually, a red-faced DJ had their arms folding as they stood on the stage. As Charlemagne instructed the tributes to shake hands, they both hesitated, glaring at each other the whole time. The Peacekeepers quickly ushered them inside before DJ could start cussing everyone out again.

With that, the Reaping was over.

Charlemagne had to admit, things didn't go the way she was expected, but she wasn't any less excited. Even if she hadn't picked tributes older than 18 like she wanted, she not only had a pair that was related, but also quite dramatic. Yes, she could work with that.

In her opinion, the 150th Hunger Games were going to be fun.

* * *

 **With that, we are officially finished with the Reapings! What do you think of the Verona twins or CHarlemagne? Also, when reviewing, I ask that you please keep DJ's preferred pronouns in mind. Any intentional misgendering, deadnaming or transphobia of any kind will not be tolerated.**

 **Mars and I have decided we're going to have a few check-in points during the story, and this chapter is one of them. For check-ins, all you have to do is answer the following question.**

 **This hapter's check-in question is:**

 **What is your tribute's favourite colour(s)?**

 **Please submit the answer via PMs, please. You can choose to PM me, Mars (spaceMars), or send me the PM on Discord. If you have more than one tribute in the story, please answer the question for each of them. Thanks!**

 **Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Next time, we'll be back in the Capitol with Apollo and co. for the Reaping recaps! See you all then!**

 **-Vr**


	18. Reaping Recap: Closed Doors

**We are still missing check-ins for the following tributes:**

 **Julius Foster**  
 **Aurora Xu**  
 **Palatino Clear**  
 **Ezra Kiskov**  
 **Deloris Malin**  
 **Grey Hemlock**  
 **Jonathan Firre**  
 **Merona Timmons**

 **Please see the author's not at the end of Chapter 17 for the check-in question. Submit your answer via PM to either me or Mars (we are also available on Discord).**

* * *

 _Constance Snow, 19_  
 _Granddaughter of President Snow_

* * *

To Constance, this day didn't feel real.

She was huddled up in the backseat of the expensive limousine her family owned, pretending to be occupied with the scenery outside when in reality, she was really staring off into space. Today, she had gone in with her father and finally scheduled her surgeries. She had underestimated the costs a little, but Juno stepped in and paid for everything right then and now. He even confirmed with the clinic that their most experienced doctors would be available that day.

It was too exciting, to finally be able to get the body she always felt comfortable with. Already, Constance wanted this day and the days that followed to done and over with. Juno sat across from her, smiling at his eldest daughter. "You seem happy."

"You didn't have to pay for everything. I could cover half, like we agreed. You spent quite a lot."  
"And let the doctors make you miserable because they cheaped out on the procedure? Or worse, put you in danger? Not if I have anything to say about it. Only the best for my daughter."

Constance always got this giddy feeling whenever her father referred to her as his daughter. "Thanks, Dad. It means a lot."  
"No problem, sweetheart."

Constance went back to staring out the limousine. She was expecting them to be driving through the fancy residential neighbourhood she lived in. "Where are we going?"  
"I have a meeting with your grandmother and I'm running a little late. Unfortunately, I don't have time to drop you off at home first, so you'll have to come with me."  
"What's it about?"

Juno picked up a remote and aimed it at the limousine's television. Sure enough, a live broadcast of the Reapings were playing out.  
"Constance, this is classified information. None of it can leave the room, you hear me? You have to promise me anything we discuss stays between you, me, your grandmother, and the Gamemakers."

Constance nodded. "My lips are sealed."  
"Thanks, honey." Juno reached out and patted her on the shoulder.

The limousine had finally stopped moving. On the glass door separating the driver from the back, there was a small knock. Constance got out and followed her father to the President's mansion. Once inside, he led her to a conference room. President Snow was sitting there, hands folded on the table. She stood up and greeted Juno with a kiss on the cheek.

A few minutes later, the Head Gamemaker came running in, carrying a large binder. He looked all disheveled. President Snow just stared at him, then shook her head. "Apollonius, the door."  
"Ah...yes." Apollo kicked the door with his foot. It slammed shut. "Sorry I'm late, miss president. But now that the Reapings have concluded, Mercutio and I did some research and scrounged up whatever we could find. I know, if I had more time-"

President Snow pointed to the chair at the head of the table. "That will be enough. How about we all take a seat?"  
Apollo swallowed, then did as he was told. Juno and Constance sat beside each other, across from the President. Apollo opened up his binder and pulled out several papers. He placed them in front of him in a neat little stack.

"So, are we ready to start?"

* * *

 _Apollonius "Apollo" Karaigme, 25_  
 _Head Gamemaker_

* * *

"Apollonius, just get on with it." President Snow sighed. "I have a lot of work to do."

"Alright..." Apollo selected the first paper. "I'll guess we'll go in district order, then. District 1, up. So, the first tribute we have is Void Zachariah, aged 25. Bit of a blank canvas here. No living family members, supposedly he was raised in the district's community home system. Was enrolled in the training academy for a few years, dropped out after his last Reaping, but re-enrolled six months ago."

"It doesn't surprise me that some adults would re-enroll," President Snow mused. "Simply haven't given up on their teenage dreams, sadly stuck trying to relive the glory days of their youth, instead of simply moving on with their lives."

"Mm-hm." Apollo decided not to comment, even if he did think the President was being a little harsh. "His district partner is Esmeralda Johnson, aged 18, the chosen volunteer. Not too much to report, except she was supposedly close to a trainee who committed suicide a few years back."  
"Is that so?"

"Her name was Amber Carthridge, aged 13 at the time of death. Reports say she was severely bullied after coming out as transgender..." Apollo trialed off when he heard Constance give a little gasp. But she took a deep breath and motioned for him to continue. "I can't say whether or not it's had a deep impact to Esmeralda's mental health. We could run a test to check."

The President just shrugged. "If you think her behaviour might be something we'll need to worry about, then by all means, run the test. How is District 2?"

"So the female chosen volunteer was Aurora Xu, aged 18. Both her mother and sister are trainers in the Academy. Yes, she is the daughter of Mayor Sabinus Xu, but he seemed to approve of his daughter's involvement in the Games, so I don't think we'll need to worry."

Juno tapped the picture of the male tribute. "He's a little young, isn't he? He's what, 13? District 2 would never approve of someone this age volunteering."

"That's because Julius Foster was not the chosen tribute. The original chosen volunteer was named Commodus Sander. As for Julius, he's the youngest of four boys, eldest brother is a Peacekeeper, another one is a blacksmith. I can imagine there's a lot of competition in that house."

"How will the Career pack work if half of them aren't chosen volunteers?" Constance asked, then quickly covered her mouth as if she wasn't supposed to be speaking.  
Apollo just shrugged. "I don't know, that's not for me to decide. Now onto District 3. Which tribute should we discuss first?"

"Do we need to worry about Ms. Hera Myrana?" President Snow asked.  
"Not really. She has a history of violent outbursts with Peacekeepers, some of which have gotten a bit physical, but she has never gone past that and her criminal record is clear. Might I add, Myrana isn't her maiden name. I do wonder why she got married so young-"

"Yes, and now let's move on." President Snow waved her hand dismissively. "We need to figure out what we want to do with Palatino Clear."

"What do you want us to do with him? We had a deal with Mayor Clear. In exchange for rigging the election to ensure his victory, his biological children would have their slips removed. Technically, Palatino would only have one slip in his name, since he was never on the tessarae records and it's his first year, but it shouldn't have been in there at all."

"Perhaps you might have to do some more rigging," President Snow told him. Juno raised an eyebrow and Constance's mouth dropped open in shock. "District 3 has always wavered in terms of loyalty, which is why we need loyalist mayors like Trebuchet Clear in place to keep the peace."

"I will do my best, madam," Apollo assured her. "Now, onto District 4. Both tributes have been enrolled in the Academy from an early age, up until it was destroyed during a tropical storm three months back. Alexander Thorngrove, aged 18, did place rather well in his age group, nothing that notable, though. And you'll find this interesting."

President Snow gave him glance that read _hurry up_ , so Apollo did just that. "Rosemary Ivring was actually the runner-up for the 149th Hunger Games, slated to volunteer if Chelsea Odair didn't. So she's volunteering now, especially since 4 doesn't have access to the Academy this year. She's also got synesthesia, but her health and medical records show that it doesn't have much of an effect on her training."

"Interesting," Juno muttered. "The Quell twist must've been a good thing for her then."  
President Snow agreed. "I'm glad to see some tributes taking advantage of it. if you don't mind, proceed with District 5."

"So, Amperia Fremont's older sister currently works in the Justice Building as has served as a District 5 representative in the Capitol a few times. Not much else to report on her, got decent grades, clean record, currently working a factory job."  
"As for Aldair?"

Apollo flipped through his papers. "Also a factory job. Okay, here's where things get interesting. Aldair's mother went missing few years bask, and a week after it was reported, her body showed up. The killer was never caught, and many accused her husband, but there wasn't enough evidence for him to be tried as guilty. I'm unsure how this impacted Aldair, but he apparently doesn't live with his father anymore."

Juno frowned. "Well, are you going to do something about it? That's a very serious crime."  
"Well, we don't have enough evidence, so there's not a lot we can do. We'll see what comes up. Okay, now for District 6. So...oh dear."

"Is there a problem?" the President asked.

"No, not really...so Deloris Malin is 14 years old, yet she's been seen at nightclubs and alleyways in District 6. You know, the ones that are notorious for all the drinking and the drugs. No contact with her biological parents or her adoptive father, who is her current guardian. Adoptive mother is not in the picture."

President Snow sadly shook her head. "Such a shame. It's not uncommon to see youth spiral out of control and ruin their lives like this. District 6's drug epidemic is becoming a serious problem. We've spent so much funds on tightened security, but I think we might need to look at a new solution."  
"How sad," Constance said quietly.

"Well, in comparison to her, Ezra Kiskov is a lot tamer. Really high marks and grades, was able to skip two years of school, currently has a job working in one of the labs responsible for designing hovercraft prototypes, rather than building the parts in the factories. For someone his age, it's impressive."

The President didn't comment, so Apollo moved on to District 7. "So, first up is Arwan Falconer. Eldest son of Nuada and Wyona Falconer, the owners of District 7's only butcher shop. It's been in the family for a long time, dating back to pre-Dark Days. He's also married, wife is expecting."  
"He's really young to be starting a family," Constance mused.

Apollo glanced down at Arwan's portrait. "Yeah, I guess he is. So for his district partner, Grey Hemlock, I think we might need to keep an eye on her. She has a history of violent outbursts and the occasional physical attack on Peacekeepers dating back to her teenage years. No clue as to why. Other than that, nothing else too notable. She works as a lumberjack, and is the second-eldest of five children."

"How about District 8?" President Snow clasped her hands together. "And the...twins...I believe?"  
"Yes, DJ and Rachel are both twins. Both live with their parents and two older brothers. They were involved in extracurricular activities such as drama clubs and musicals, though only Rachel has stuck with them. DJ dropped out to peruse poetry and writing clubs instead. They don't seem to get along, and we have eyewitness accounts of Rachel mocking DJ for identifying as agender, especially after they chose to go with different pronouns."

President Snow pointed to DJ's papers. "So you refer to DJ as such despite the fact his given name is David Verona Junior."  
"DJ asked to be called that!" Constance interrupted. "Maybe DJ doesn't like going by a deadname! I don't like it when people call me by my deadname!"

The President was about to argue, but Juno shook his head. "Constance is right, mom. We shouldn't force a tribute to go by a deadname, and that's that."  
That sounded good to Apollo. "Second the notion. In District 9, we've got some younger tributes. Jonathan Firre is the youngest of, woah, eight kids. His father is a schoolteacher, so he has decent grades for his year. One of his older brothers is training to become a Peacekeeper."

"So there are people in the outer districts that take part in our Peacekeeper training problems," the president noted. "Good. What about his district partner?"  
"Autumn Farro? Well, her younger cousin was adopted by her parents a few years ago and they've raised him ever since. She has a part-time job working in the fields, and is occasionally seen helping out in the poorer areas of the district. Decent grades, clean records."

Apollo picked up some more papers, hastily shoving the rest of them to the side. "Now, for District 10. First up, Merona Timmons. Not much to say, only child, typical grades, clean records. That's life for the usual District 10 citizen."  
The President didn't seem too bothered. "Well, most kids know how to stay out trouble."

Apollo nodded. "So, next we have Ace McCree. His father was one of victims of the District 10 riot that occurred five years ago, and his stepmother has been his guardian since. Other than that, nothing else of interest. Clean slate for a record."

"How about District 11?" Juno asked. "They have two tributes older than the typical Reaping bracket."  
"That's true for a few districts. First up, we have Synthize Greene. Has one younger brother, two younger sisters. His brother has been paralyzed from the waste down following some sort of accident and Synthize has taken up a full-time job harvesting alongside his parents to help provide extra income."

"He really cares about his family," Juno observed. "It's always a big move for someone to volunteer to save their sibling. Sometimes, love only goes so far."  
"Yes, love." President Snow waved her hand dismissively. "Let's move on. Elana?"

"Well, my report says that she got at pregnant at age 19, and her baby was born very sick. Died when he was a year old, likely to disease, but no confirmed cause. She's lived in District 11's apothecary shop with her grandmother since."  
"Aw, that's sad," Constance sighed, speaking the minds of everyone in the room.

"Yeah, it really is sad. But we're almost done here, with our last two tributes. First up is Powder Riddell. He's the only child of a craftsman who produces mining tools, and lives in the wealthier part 12. Mother died when eh was young due to heat stroke, father has since remarried."  
"And the last tribute?"

Apollo produced his final paper. "That would be Jennifer Gaewick. Two brothers, one older, one younger. They're not exactly the poorest family in 12, but not as well-off as Powder. Not much else to add. Decent grades, clean record. And that's it."

"Excellent." President Snow sounded relieved and exhausted. "Juno dear, thank you to you and Constance for coming. If you don't mind, I'd like to speak with Apollonius alone, please."  
"Sure thing, mom." Juno stood up, stretching his legs. "Come on, Constance. Let's go home."

Once they were alone, things suddenly felt tense. President Snow's gaze was upon him, and it made Apollo uncomfortable. "Yes, madam president?"  
"Apollonius, you understand the responsibilities that come with the role of Head Gamemaker."

"Of course!" This wasn't Apollo's first year. As a matter of fact, it was his _fifth!_ His arena had been nothing short of stellar, and he couldn't figure out what exactly the President wanted from him. "When have I ever neglected my duties?"

"I'm not accusing you of doing so. But this year, we have a lot riding on us. It's a Quell, and it seems that our old friends the rebels have been interfering. Make sure you take precaution and keep a watch out for any sabotages. I know attempts to rig the Games are always a risky move, but in this case-"

"You want me to try and fix the Games to ensure victory for Palatino Clear."

Saying it out loud snapped Apollo to reality and he realized the weight he had just placed onto his shoulders. It was no big secret that the Hunger Games were rigged against any tribute who was openly rebellious, to guarantee they would not win, despite how subtle the Gamemakers were. But rigging the Games in favour for a tribute could cause a lot of problems, especially since Apollo knew he couldn't share the reason why.

After all, Panem would demand to know why he chose to give one tribute an easy pathway to victory and ignored the rest. Why shouldn't their child be given the same treatment? What was so special about the tribute he saved? Then the revolts would happen as the unrest set in, Apollo would start fearing for his life as rebels stormed the Capitol, and it would only end one way.

In total chaos.

"I'll do my best, madam," Apollo assured. "My team and I will do our best."

"Good." President Snow gave him a smile. She had yet to look away from him.

"I expected nothing less than the best from you, Head Gamemaker."

* * *

 **So, a quick recap to refresh our minds on each of the tributes, because it's been so long since the Reapings. And looks like it's spicy subplot time! Which tributes stand out to you? Which tributes do you think might ally? Do you think Apollo is making the right call in his attempt to rig the Games?**

 **Next chapter will be the train rides with Void and Palatino! If you haven't submitted your check-in yet, the question can be found at the end of the previous chapter. You can submit your answer either to me or Mars via PM.**

 **See you all in the next chapter!**

 **-Vr**


	19. Train Rides: The Ugly Truth

**We are still missing check-ins for the following tributes:**

 **Julius Foster**  
 **Aurora Xu**  
 **Palatino Clear**  
 **Ezra Kiskov**  
 **Deloris Malin**  
 **Jonathan Firre**  
 **Merona Timmons**

 **Please see the author's note at the end of Chapter 17 for the check-in question. Submit your answer via PM to either me or Mars (we are also available on Discord).**

* * *

 _Void Zachariah, 25_  
 _District 1 Male_

* * *

Nobody on the train seemed too pleased to see him.

Void supposed that was fair. After all, Games protocol never changed, even with the uncertainty of the Quell twist. There were two chosen volunteers, and that was that. Volunteering when you weren't supposed to was nothing but shameful.

Yet here he was.

The second he stepped foot onto the train, Leroy Michowitz grabbed Void's arm and dragged him off. They didn't stop until they were sitting in one of the bedroom cars. Leroy dropped Void onto the bed, then stood over him, arms crossed. It was unnerving. God, no wonder everybody in District 1 was afraid of him.

"If there weren't laws in place and if I didn't have people that I care about, I would have snapped your neck already."  
"Okay," Void said in a calm tone. Deep down, his heart was pounding and he wanted to get up and leave. "But you can't. So now what?"

"Well, I'm going to mentor you and whatever remaining brain cells you have, so I can whip you up into at least a half-decent Career, rather than a hopeless loser who missed his opportunity to volunteer years ago, just embarrassed his entire district, and has zero chances of ever winning the Games."

"Hey, I've trained before! I was enrolled in the Academy until after my last Reaping."  
"Big deal, Mr. Big Shot," Leroy hissed. "That happens to everyone. Did you even retain anything my trainers worked their asses off to teach you? If you're going to be a reckless volunteer, make sure you're not a dumb one."

"Well, I know how to use a knife."  
"So does every other trainee I've met. It's a required lesson."  
"And I'm an electrical technician."

For a second, Void thought that Leroy's gaze softened, but he just continued to scowl instead. "And that's supposed to enlighten me because?"  
"I can make electrical traps. I can build my own weapons. If you can get me the supplies, I'll build something great and I'll take out every other tribute in the arena."

Leroy sighed loudly, and pressed his fingers against his forehead. "Supplies will cost us money and sponsors. Why should I convince everyone to sponsor you, rather than send all your money to Miss Johnson instead? At least she's an honourable Career."

Void was starting to feel a little frustrated. "Because. When was the last time you had a Career the specialized with circuits?"  
"Why can't you pick up an actual weapon instead?"  
"Because that's not my specialty! Come on, please believe in me-"

"Give me something to believe in then! Fuck, you washed-up trainees are useless!"  
"I can get the sponsors on my own! I have a story!"

Leroy cackled. "Well, I've heard it all. You volunteered so you could use your riches for your poor family? To save your sick sibling? To save a poor 12 year-old who got Reaped instead? Did you get pressured into it by abusive parents? But you actually don't like killing? Oh, boo-hoo. I can guarantee by now, the Capitol's heard it all too. So you're gonna have to try really hard to impress them, let alone _me_."

"I volunteered for my girlfriend and my future child."

Leroy blinked in surprise. "That's your story."  
"Yes."  
"That's what you're going to tell the sponsors."  
"Yep!"

"Well, it's not enough," Leroy told him. "It won't convince me. If that's how you're going to sell yourself, you better say it in the most heartbreaking way possible. You're an adult in the Games with a bunch of other adults. How many of them have families of their own? How many of them will share the same story as you? How will you stand out?"

Void frowned. He didn't think about that.  
"I lived at the district orphanage for fifteen years. I've never met my birth parents. My girlfriend and my kid...they're the only family I've got."  
"And remind why I'd care about some pregnant girl from District 1 that I've never met?"

Void grimaced. What was Leroy's problem? "Because think about it from her perspective. Her boy friend is making the ultimate sacrifice so they can give their baby a good life. How horrible would it be if I died and she became a single mother? So the sponsors should go after me and they'd indirectly be helping her."

Leroy didn't say anything, just stared Void up and down. Then he nodded. "Good, so we're getting somewhere. You've given me something I can use to make sponsors take pity on you."  
"Except they're not pitying me. Think of it as them helping me. Because sponsors money can get me supplies so I can build a weapon and take out the competition and win."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. What will you do in the meantime?"  
"Train," Void said bluntly. "What else would I do?"

Any approval Leroy had for Void seemed to have instantly vanished and he went back to scowling. "Three days will not make up for seven years."  
"Then, I'll brush up on things I'm already good at. Like electronics. And traps."

Leroy's palm hit his forehead. "No, no, no! You will not be launched into the arena with electrical shit or traps at your disposal. Have you used any traditional weapons before?"  
"I told you, knives."  
"Then brush up on knives."

"But I can't use knives forever," Void told him. "So, does that mean you'll get me my supplies?"  
"If you don't go and get yourself killed first, yes. I will try."

"Thanks, Mr. Michowitz!" Void gave him a thumbs-up.

But Leroy wasn't done. "Listen up here, District 1 needs this victory. We need the Quell Victor. And we would have gotten one 25 years ago, if Peter _fucking_ Vermont hadn't gone and fucked everything up. So I'm counting on you. and I swear by the President if you do anything stupid and you don't get us that winner, I will make the rest of your miserable life an absolute _hell_. Do I make myself clear?"

"I promise, I will not let you down."

* * *

 _Palatino Clear, 12_  
 _District 3 Male_

* * *

"No! NO! Let me out of here!"

Palatino tore down the hallway, but there was a Peacekeeper blocking the door. Two of the train stewards followed him. Palatino shrugged them off, then ran in the opposite direction. He wasn't supposed to be here! There had to be a way off this train!

But there wasn't. He was trapped.

Palatino kept running. he was too nervous to think straight. He tore into the nearest bedroom, threw himself down, as tears rushed to his eyes. But He didn't want to cry. What kind of pathetic 12 year-old was he, crying because he couldn't leave the train?

But he wanted off. He wanted to run back into his parents's arms. They promised him this would never ever happen. Out of all those kids chosen to live in the Capitol, it would never be him.

They promised he'd be safe.

They promised.

Palatino threw himself onto the bed and sobbed.

After a few minutes, he heard a knock on the door. "Palatino, are you in here?"  
"Go away!"  
"I just want to talk."

Palatino sniffed. "Well, I don't want to talk."  
The voice hesitated, but the door opened anyways. Palatino lifted up his head to see a man in his forties standing over him. "Hey. Is everything alright, kid?"  
"No."

The man frowned. "Will you tell me what's wrong?"  
"My...my mom and dad said that...it wouldn't be me. They said I wouldn't get chosen to go to the Capitol. I don't wanna go! I wanna go home!"  
"Do you know why you're going to the Capitol?"

Palatino was about to answer that he had been chosen to live there, but something about that response seemed off. he had no clue why, but it just didn't click. Wasn't living in the Capitol a good thing? Why were his parents so worried? Why was his district partner so upset about leaving?  
"I don't know."

"Alright, let's start slow. My name is Gibson. I'm your mentor."  
"Why do I need a mentor?"  
"I'm also the Victor of the 119th Hunger Games."

Palatino froze. "What are the Hunger Games?"  
"You've never heard of the Hunger Games? You never watched it with your parents?"  
"No? What are they? Are they bad?"

Gibson sighed. "Promise me you won't freak out, okay? But the Hunger Games are a yearly event. Two tributes, one male and one female, get selected from each district. They go the Capitol, where they get a few days to train and have an interview. Then, they are put into this arena, where they fight each other to the death. The last surviving tribute wins. They become Victors."

"What!?" Palatino screeched. "No! Am I going into the Hunger Games!?"  
"Unfortunately, yes. Your name was picked and nobody volunteered to take your place. You have to go."

"But...b-but...but my parents promised! My dad is the mayor! He'll come get me! I'm not going! I don't wanna die!"  
Gibson shook his head. "Sorry. There's nothing he can do."

"I don't wanna die!" Palatino flopped back onto the bed, covering up his head and he started to cry. "I don't wanna die! I'm not going! Let me go, please! I wanna go home!"  
"You can't say that. The Games haven't even started yet! I'll help you, alright?"

Palatino didn't look up. "All those other tributes are older, bigger, and stronger. I'm not."  
"That means nothing. Do you know how old I was when I won? I was fourteen. I was the third-youngest tribute in my Games. And I still won."  
"This is different."

"And what are you going to do about it?" Gibson asked him. "Are you just going to give up? Are you going to win, or die trying?"  
Palatino gave it some thought. "What should I do?"

"Well, you have three days of training. I suggest you pick a specific weapon and learn how to use it. Brush up on survival skills too, like finding edible plants, buildings shelters, starting fires, that stuff. I'll be meeting with sponsors to see if I can get you supplies when you're in the arena."

Palatino watched as Gibson picked up a remote and turned on the television. "They'll be doing a recap of all the tributes, if you want to take a look. Maybe you can think about which tributes you'd consider allying with in the arena."  
"Do I need allies?"  
"You don't have to ally with anyone if you don't want."

"I don't know," Palatino sighed. "I don't know what to do. Nobody ever told me about this. I just-"  
"You want to survive, got it. And I'm trying my best to help you, okay? But I need you to cooperate with me or else nothing will get done. Can you do that?"

Despite his sullen mood, Palatino wasn't an idiot. He knew that he would have to rely on Gibson's knowledge to get anywhere in the Games, despite how little he wanted to be here. As scared as he was, he couldn't face this alone. Not when he had been sheltered from the ugly truth for so long.

"Okay. Can we watch the recap now?"  
"Do you want to look for allies?"  
"I wanna see my competition."

Gibson nodded and turned up the volume. Palatino just stared at the screen, but he could fill a pit in his stomach. All these men and women, so much older than him, hands in the air, smiles on their faces. They volunteered to do this!? And they trained for years to kill kids!? How disgusting!

"I don't know if I can do this," he admitted to Gibson.  
"You're going to have to try."  
"You'll help me out, right?"

"Every step of the way, alright? Every step of the way."

* * *

 **And that was the train rides! Do you think Void will be a good asset to the Career alliance? Who do you think Palatino might ally with?**

 **Next up will be the chariot rides, covered by Arwan, Merona, and Head Gamemaker Apollo! Stay tuned for that soon!**

 **-Vr**


	20. The Chariots: Welcome To The Show

**We are still missing check-ins for the following tributes:**

 **Julius Foster**  
 **Aurora Xu**  
 **Palatino Clear**  
 **Ezra Kiskov**  
 **Deloris Malin**  
 **Jonathan Firre**  
 **Merona Timmons**

 **Please see the author's note at the end of Chapter 17 for the check-in question. Submit your answer via PM to either me or Mars (we are also available on Discord).**

* * *

 _Arwan Falconer, 24_  
 _District 7 Male_

* * *

They were finally in the Capitol.

As restless as Arwan was to get off of the train and take a breath of fresh air, he wasn't entirely happy to be here. He wanted to be back in 7, where he belonged. He wanted to check on his wife and make sure she was doing okay. He couldn't remember the last time they spent the night apart. He was worried for her, he really was. She was pregnant and alone, praying for the return of her darling husband.

He had to come back for her.

The train stopped and the doors opened up. Eleanor gave both Grey and Arwan a shove out the doors and onto the velvety red carpet underneath their feet. Arwan took in the sights of the brightly lit city around him. There were all these colourful people screaming, pushing each other aside, waving their arms in the air as they jumped up and down.  
It was kinda overwhelming.

"Arwan! ARWAN! Arwan, over here! Arwan, look at the camera! Can we do an interview, Arwan? Arwan, over here, over here please! ARWAN!"

The colours screamed in his face and the flashing cameras blinded him. Arwan grit his teeth, following his mentors, his escort, and his district partner inside. The doors shut behind him and the screams faded out. They were finally gone.

The room was standing in had pristine white walls and curtains for privacy. Arwan didn't have time to observe his surroundings before a trio of Capitolites grabbed him and whisked him off. They dumped him on a cold metal table and drew the curtains.

"Hello, sweetie!" one of them said. She was a middle-aged woman with hot pink hair and yellow skin. "We're your prep team!"  
"Prep team? What's a prep team?"  
"The prep team is responsible for dressing you up and making you look for good for tonight's parade, silly! Come on, let's get started."

A younger man with blue hair streaked with green pulled out a tray from inside the table containing a bunch of tools. The third member, who had a purple buzz cut and eyes with a yellow glow snapped their fingers at Arwan. "Strip."  
"Um, excuse me!?"

"You heard me. Strip."

Arwan hesitated, staring down at his clothes. Then, he slowly pulled them off, leaving himself standing in the middle of the room in nothing but his underwear. The prep team didn't seem that bothered as they handed him a paper thin robe and instructed him to sit down on the table. Then, they took some cloths and wiped him clean. They plucked his hair off with tweezers. They scrubbed at his face until his skin was itchy and red.

Then they lathered him with lotion and Arwan glanced at the mirror across the room. A handsome young fellow stared at him back.

"We'll be right back," the pink-haired girl said as Arwan pulled the robe around him and the prep team walked off. For a few minutes, he was left alone. As Arwan picked some lint off his robe, a woman who was probably around his age walked in, carrying a clipboard. She had pale skin and bushy yellow hair.

"Hello, Arwan. My name is Cash. I'm going to be your stylist. How are you doing?"  
Arwan shrugged. "Eh. I'm fine, I guess."

Cash chuckled as she held up the clipboard. "Would you like to see what I've designed for you?"  
"Sure, why not?"

The clipboard as shown to Arwan's face and he studied the drawing. He wasn't the biggest fan, but he supposed it could be worse. "It looks like an axe."  
"That's exactly the point!"  
''What about Grey?"

"She's got the same thing." Cash tucked the clipboard under her arm. "But we're running on limited time. Are you ready to get dressed?"  
"Ready as I'll ever be."

The costume was surprisingly easy to get into and then, Arwan finally realized how ugly he thought it looked. Again, he didn't recognize his reflection, grimacing at himself instead. Cash just patted him on the shoulder. "Oh relax, it wouldn't be for that long. Besides, just be happy you're not a tree."

* * *

 _Apollonius "Apollo" Karaigme, 25_  
 _Head Gamemaker_

* * *

"Are we ready?" Apollo asked his Gamemaking team. They were sitting in the booth that gave them a perfect view of the parade. Avoxes waited patiently to bring them food and drinks.

Mercutio nodded eagerly as another Gamemaker, Paige, plucked a goblet of wine from a tray an Avox was carrying. "Will the outfits actually be good this time?"  
"Depends. What's your opinion on good?"

Cherry rolled her eyes and she took her seat. "Your opinion's weird, Mercutio."  
"Well, you just have bad taste!"

Anthony, the Gameamker in charge of the mutts, just snickered as he sat down next to Apollo; the Head Gamemaker dumped his head in his hands. "You know," Anthony said to him while poking him in the shoulder. "My wife says stuff like that all the time-"

"Sit down guys!" Apollo shouted. "The parade's about to start."

And sure enough, it was. The walkway was lined with spotlights as the crowd cheered wildly. Apollo could hear the announcer hyping things up from overhead; Tallulah Jeweltonne's voice was recognizable from anywhere in Panem.

"Gooooooood evening ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Tribute Parade of the 150th Hunger Games! The Quarter Quell! And what an occasion that will be. We haven't had one of these in 25 years! Ah, here they come now! This year's tributes!"

The first chariot was already speeding along. he tributes inside wore velvety robes of deep purple, with dark red capes flowing behind them. They had giant crowns on their heads glistening with all these little gems. Void threw his arms out as his cape flew out in the air, revealing his robe underneath. He blew kisses to the crowd while his district partner just stared forward, clutching the sides of the chariot. Her robe looked more like a formal dress.

"My, how beautiful! That's totally something I'd wear myself! And Void Zachariah is certainly a riot; keep a close eye on your daughters, boys! I wonder what's up with Esmeralda, our little district one queen? Ah, chariots aren't for everyone. Onto District 2!"

Both tributes were clanky chainmail armour and carried bright red shields that had eagles on them. Instead of helmets, they wore headpiece connected to the rest of the armour. Julius raised his fake sword in the air and yelled along with the crowd. Aurora simply clasped her hands in front of her, a if she couldn't be bothered to give the audience any attention.

Mercutio whistled. "Colour me impressed."

"Look at District 2, our brave Career warriors! Hear that crowd roar! Julius is quite a fun little one, is he not? I've never seen such an immature warrior in my life! Oh, Aurora does not seemed amused. Maybe she hates kids. And here comes District 3...here are they? Oh, oh my!"

At first, Apollo didn't spot the District 3 tributes, until he noticed two shadowy figures standing in the chariot. Suddenly, the figures burst to life with strings of glowing green code dancing around the bodysuits. The tributes wore futuristic visors on their heads. Hera folded her arms and pouted; Palatino didn't even look up.

"What a unique idea; kudos to those stylists! Ah, if only the tributes were more cooperative. Why waste such a beautiful design on someone so angry? That's the way the cookie crumbles, I suppose. Hera and Palatino, everyone. And District 4!"

With District 4, everyone was used to seeing blues and greens. So Mercutio let out a loud gasp when he saw the dark brown outfits of the tributes. Rosemary's dress was sleeveless with a blue sash separating the top from the skirt. She wore jewellery made of pearls, with a few in her hair. Alexander wore a simple top and flowing pants with black combat boots. Rather than pearls, he wore a necklace and crown made of woven seaweed. They stood side by side, politely grinning and waving to the crowd.

"I've never seen this before! but I don't understand, they kinda remind me of trees...oh. OH. Seashells! Look at the curved lines on Rosemary's top! They're supposed to be seashells! Ah, I somewhat see it now! Great idea, perhaps terrible execution? Fashion is a strange art."

"She wouldn't know fashion if it slapped her in the face with a nametag," Paige muttered through her second glass of wine, which got laughs out of all the Gamemakers.

Next was District 5. Similarly to 3, they wore black bodysuits with glowing green orbs attached in random places. Whatever the stylists were trying to convey was lost in translation with how lackluster the design was. The bodysuits were extremely sexualized, with a low cut at Amperia's chest and Aldair's completely exposed. The placement of the orbs didn't help. Both tributes stood uncomfortably with fake smiles; Aldair gave a few polite waves, but that was it.

Tallulah sighed with sympathy. "Well, they can't all be winners. At least the tributes are good sports about it. As much of a good sport anyone can be anyways wearing such a costume."

"Pity," Apollo said under his breath as he turned attention to District 6. The tributes had on sleeveless jumpsuits with flowing transparent capes that had a train track design. The jumpsuits emitted soft blue ripples. While Deloris flung her cape in the air and danced wildly in her chariot, Ezra stood in awe, taking in the sights around him. A goofy grin appeared on his face.

"I see what the stylists were going for...never mind, I don't." Tallulah scoffed. "At least Deloris makes up for it with that wild energy. Look at her dance! She's certainly going to bump into her district partner at some point."

District 7 came shortly afterwards, in what Apollo thought looked like formal wear. Grey's dress started with a red flannel part, but the bottom part looked like wood, marked with the cuts and lashes of an axe. Arwan's blazer also had the red flannel pattern, with wooden-coloured clothes underneath and a silver bowtie. He pretended to be more interested in his nails while Grey folded her arms and huffed.

"District 7 is always known for their trees. When was the last time we haven't seen their tributes dressed up as trees? But I really love the flannel! District 7 can never have too much flannel, can they? And look, District 8 is in the distance!"

District 8 sped along the walkway. DJ and Rachel wore simple tunics cinched with leather belts. The big twist was how the tunics were identical but inverted; Rachel's went over her left shoulder and was all white, while DJ's went over their right shoulder and was a blood red. They stood on opposite ends of the chariot, scowling at each other.

"Humph. I expected more from a district that produces textiles. Textiles, for crying out loud! Well, the angel-devil theme is new. Rachel, our lovely little angel. And her...brother...he's out cunning little devil." Tallulah laughed to herself while Apollo cringed quietly at the intentional misgendering.

For District 9, all Apollo could see was gold. Autumn had on a flowing skirt painted to look like a wheat field; it draped behind her. Her chest was completely bare, sans a clunky blue and orange necklace she wore. Jonathan had on a matching vest that reached his knees and tight pants underneath. He fiddled with the bracelets on his arms and jumped up and down to get the crowd's attention. Autumn waved with one hand, covering herself up with the other.

Tallulah gushed while Cherry frowned. "They're kids, both of them. They're little kids. Are you oversexualizing little kids?"  
"You'll have to speak with the stylists then," Apollo told her. "I'm not in charge of assigning them districts or designing the outfits."

Unlike District 9, District 10 wasn't the least bit sexualized... but it was something. Apollo bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud at the sight of Merona and Ace wearing cow onesies. They had on headbands that resembled ears and a large bell around each of their necks. Merona dumped her face in her hands while Ace pumped his fists into the air with a nervous smile.

Tallulah snickered. "That's...that's...it's a break from the cowboy and bullrider costumes...honestly, I don't know what to say!" She burst out laughing.

"We're on a roll here," Mercutio said, rubbing his chin in thought at the District 11 costumes. Synthize was wearing a pale orange suit covered in wildflowers. He had a headband made of leaves on his head and he just stuck his hands in his pockets, shrugging at the audience. Elana's wasn't much better. Her dress was woven out of branches and it seemed uncomfortable. Her hair was decorated with flowers and she awkwardly stood there, barely moving. Apollo didn't blame her.

"What a dress! What a suit! I hope they don't have to wear those for the interviews. Elana's getting poked by a stick and Synthize doesn't have allergies to nature, does he? Nope, he's just leaving a trail of petals everywhere. Finally, the chariot of the night!"

And to top everything off, the District 12 chariot came out speeding. Apollo wanted to laugh at the sight of giant foam pickaxes with Jennifer and Powder sticking their heads out of ha ole in the handles. They fumbled around the chariot and occasionally smacked into each other, causing both of them to giggle.

Tallulah was giggling too. "Ah, District 12 has never ceased to surprise us since the 74th, have they? But look at the handle carvings! Those are pretty!"

In two rows of six, the chariots were all lined up in front of a balcony, where the President stood. She gave a formal greeting to the tributes, then waved her hand to dismiss them. The chariots went off and Tallulah finally shut up.

The Parade was over.

Apollo glanced over his fellow Gamemakers. He noticed Cherry and Mercutio bickering again, Paige finally drinking a glass of water rather than wine, Anthony sitting off to the side and twiddling his thumbs. He clapped his hands loudly, getting everyone's attention.

"Alright team. It's back to work!"

* * *

 _Merona Timmons, 12_  
 _District 10 Female_

* * *

The onesie was hot and stuffy. Merona couldn't wait for the parade to be over so she could finally get it off.

She also couldn't wait for everyone to stop staring at her, even if it was only few a few moments. She didn't like the attention and the noise. Maybe Ace was okay with it but nope, not Merona Timmons. She wasn't okay with anything about the parade.

But it was finally over.

Ace half-jumped and half-fell off the side of the chariot. Merona followed, but carefully stepped down instead. They pulled off the onesies and Merona was grateful for the T-shirt and pants they were allowed to wear underneath. She felt the cool air rush past air as the District 11 chariot pulled up next to them.

Ace flicked the bell he had been wearing; it made a loud clanging sound. "That was fun, wasn't it?"  
"Not really."

"I meant riding the chariot." Ace pointed to the horses. "That was fun. Not the parade. I hate parades."  
Merona gave him a small smile. "Yeah, I liked the chariot."

As the other tributes stripped from their costumes, the District 10 team approached them. Sadie handed Merona a bottle of water, which she greedily gulped down. She took a moment to look around her at everyone else. Beside her, Synthize from 11 was unzipping his district partner's dress so she could get out of it. Autumn and Jonathan from 9 had already traded their flowing clothes for fuzzy bathrobes. DJ from 8 jumped off their chariot and ran straight or the elevators, not even bothering to change first. Jennifer and Powder from 12 laughed as they tried to work how to get off the chariot.

The Careers were already gathering in a little group off to the side; the pair from 5 watched them. Merona was surprised they all seemed okay with little Julius in the group, standing on his tiptoes. He wasn't that much older than she was.

"Alright you two." Merona quickly turned around to face Pete Vermont. "Let's get out of here before things get too crowded."

Prisma led the way to the elevators. The team trailed behind her. Ace and Merona were at the back of the pack and they exchanged glances. Suddenly, Merona felt something slippery under her feet. Curious, she reached down and picked up the seaweed necklace from the District 4 chariot.

"Should we give it back?" she asked Ace.  
Ace shrugged, as the Careers finished their conversation and all went their separate ways. "Hey look, there's District 4 right now!"

Ace ran off towards the two older tributes and Merona followed closely behind. When they reached them, Ace tapped Alexander on the shoulder. "We think this is yours," he said as Merona handed back the necklace.  
Alexander gave them a nod. "Thanks."

"No problem," Merona squeaked out before she turned and hurried towards the elevator. As she was inside, the doors closed and they were carried up to the tenth floor.

Having never been in the Capitol before, Merona had no clue what to expect. Certainly not _this_. The floor was huge, covered in lush carpets and windows with breathtaking views. The beds were also pretty big and the kitchen had every single appliance she could think of. Avoxes maintained everything. She and Ace gawked at the sight. Pete just smirked. "Like what you see?"

"This place is so cool!" Ace gasped. "It's bigger than my house!"  
"Mine too!" Merona giggled. "Is...is that a balcony?"

"You can go onto the balcony tomorrow," Sadie told them. "It's late and you two should both be in bed. You'll need all the energy you can get for training tomorrow."  
"She's right. As a matter of fact, I'm going to bed." Pete gave them a wave. "See you in the morning."

An Avox led Merona to her room, across from Ace's. Before entering, they both paused at the doors and face each other. Merona had a feeling she knew what Ace wanted to say to her and she quickly came up with a response in her head.

"Hey...are we allies now?"  
"I don't know. Are we?"

"I wanna be allies," Ace muttered quietly and Merona agreed with him.

"Then let's be allies."

* * *

 _Current Alliances:_

 _The Completely Chill and Highly Functional Career Pack:_ Void, Ember, Julius, Aurora, Alec, Rosy

 _D10 Loyalty:_ Ace, Merona

* * *

 **There was the parade! This was interesting to type out and I'm sorry if the costumes weren't the best in terms of description; I've never done a parade like this before. To determine what the costumes were, I read what each tribute wrote, then took the two designs from each district partner and worked up a compromise. Or I went with what was the funniest. Don't worry if Tallulah wasn't the nicest to your tribute; she's not the nicest in general.**

 **Now alliances are starting to get together! Which tributes do you think might ally together? Which costumes were your favourite (and why so)?**

 **That's all I've got for this chapter. Training starts next chapter with Alec, Jenny, Rosy, and Grey! Stay tuned for that!**

 **-Vr**


	21. Training Day I: Tensions

**Happy birthday PC!**

* * *

 _Alexander Thorngrove, 18_  
 _District 4 Male_

* * *

The bed was huge.

Alec woke up lying across it horizontally, but not touching either end. the sheets were cool and sunlight fell onto his face. He felt good, really. Despite the excitement of yesterday and the growing knot in his stomach, he managed to fall asleep quickly.

However, he couldn't stay like this forever. Sooner or later, he had to face the reality. By the end of the week, he'd be in the arena. By the end of the month, he could be dead.

Alec sighed, curling up into a ball. He never wanted to be here in the first place. He trained, yes, but only because he didn't know what his father would do if he didn't. Jake Thorngrove was so insistent on what he expected of his only son. He had this idea of manly, masculine Hunger Games Victor Alexander Thorngrove who crushed his enemies with bare heads and slept with all these desirable women and built up his own family, preferably all boys.

What would he say if he knew Alec didn't want to volunteer?

What would he say if he knew Alec wasn't that interested in sex?

What would he say if he knew Alec was-

For years, Alec had a strategy up his sleeve that kept him on Jake's good side without the risk of volunteering. He trained, yes, but there would always be those slip-ups that prevented him from sitting comfortably in the number one spot. Someone always found a way to surpass him and Alec pretended to be insulted. He didn't care. He stayed within the Top 10, but never Top 5. That was high enough to keep his father at bay and keep Alec from ever being considered a potential volunteer.

This was his final year and everything would have worked out if it wasn't for that damn tropical storm that ravaged the Academy and left District 4 without a male volunteer. Nobody came to save him and now, the one event he was so desperate to avoid, was finally his worst nightmare.

What was he supposed to do now?

Alec kicked at the sheets in frustration. He was all tangled up in them. As he pulled himself out, there was a knock at the door and Garret Odair poked his head in. "Good morning, Alexander. Were you already awake?"  
"Yeah." Alec yawned. "What time is it?"

"It's almost 8. The training centre opens at 9." Garret pointed at a clock on the wall. "Anyways, breakfast is ready."  
"I'll be out in a bit," Alec said, stumbling into the bathroom. He noticed a T-shirt and some pants hanging on clothes hangers. Both articles had a blue 4 on them.

Alec got changed, did his business, then headed to the dining room. Aquamarine, Rosy, Chelsea, and Garret were there. Avoxes milled about, clearing plates and carrying trays of food. Alec sat down at the only empty spot at the table. He was starving. The atmosphere felt pleasant. Aquamarine hummed to herself as she buttered a roll. Rosy and Chelsea were talking strategy; Alec remembered how Rosy had been selected as the runner-up should Chelsea not volunteer for the 149th Hunger Games. They both seemed pretty over it, and with Chelsea so familiar with Rosy's techniques, they made a good team.

Alec still felt a little nervous chatting with Garret. After all, he was part of the famous Odair line Alec's dad was trying so hard to recreate. He had been an absolute beast in his Games, and many kids in the Academy regarded him as one of the best mentors with how successful he had been in past years. If Garret Odair had his eye on you, you were something special indeed.

"What do you plan to do?" Garret asked Alec. "I know you trained. But you were never serious about volunteering?"  
"Not really," Alec admitted. There was no point in hiding it. "I never expected to be here."

"That's fair. But only one can win and I'm going to help you, alright? What I suggest is that you continue with the skills you brought with you from the Academy. You only have three days, so brush up on what you're familiar with. Give it your best. Even if a Reaped Career can be deadly, especially if they've still trained."

Alec thought about this as Aquamarine brought them down to the training centre. Already, the other Careers were there. Gradually, the room filled up as the head trainer gave a quick speech. Three days, with Private Sessions on the afternoon of the last day. No physical conflict with other tributes. Fine. Alec would do all that. the tributes dispersed and Rosy dragged him over to where the other Careers were waiting.

Alec didn't feel so good about the pack. For starters, three of them weren't even the selected volunteers. Julius was so young and Void was a complete wild card. And because of his age, he seemed to have crowned himself King of the Careers. Esmeralda scowled, Rosy frowned, and Aurora just seemed indifferent. There was tension already growing and they hadn't even reached the arena.

Alec made up his mind.

"I want to assess everyone's skills," Void announced. "I'm guessing we have all trained to some extent, but if we want to ensure a Career victory, we need to have the strongest pack possible." He pointed at Alec. "I don't trust you. Show me what you're made of."  
"Hold on-" Rosy started to say, but Void cut her off. "He's a _Reaped_ Career. They almost never train and never win."

It was now or never. "Don't worry about me then," Alec assured them. "I promise I won't drag you guys down. As a matter of fact, I quit."

* * *

 _Rosemary "Rosy" Ivring, 19_  
 _District 4 Female_

* * *

 _WHAT!?_

Void's fists clenched up and all eyes were on Alec. He stood firm. "Did you not hear me? I said I quit!"  
"Did you not hear what I said about having a strong pack?" Void asked him. "We need the numbers! You can't just walk away!"  
"Yes I can!"

"Fine," Julius hissed. "We should let him die, guys! Better yet, we kill him in the arena!"  
"Just drop it," Esmeralda said quietly while Rosy stepped up, placing herself in front of Alec. "Alec, are you kidding me? You're making yourself a target!"

"That's a shame," Alec said. Then he walked away.

"Fine," Void hissed. "We didn't need him anyways, he would've made us weaker. We'll find someone else. Let's go train!"  
With that, the pack split up.

Rosy headed over to the camouflage station. Surprisingly, it was empty. Most of the other survival stations were crowded. Rosy took a moment to look over all the paints, before she eventually began running the brush up and down her arm. At the nearby swords station, Esmeralda was sparring with a trainer while Aldair from 5 watched. Aurora was throwing stars and a dummy's head. Little Jonathan was 9 was trying his best to heft an axe.

Rosy just continued painting. She had to admit, she was more used to canvases and bright pastel colours. It wasn't as easy to try and disguise her arm as a tree trunk but she felt impressed with what she had managed so far. She still had time; she'd get there eventually.

Finally, her entire arm was covered in paint. Rosy frowned. There was no way she'd blend in with nature like this. She took a wet cloth and wiped off all her paint, ready to start over.

After another minute or two, she noticed a flushed Esmeralda was watching her. "What are you doing?" the girl from 1 asked.  
"I'm practicing my camouflage."

Esmeralda just nodded. "Okay. Cool."  
"Yeah, I know it's kind of useless. But I like painting."

"Do you paint often?" Esmeralda asked, raising her arm to wipe the sweat from her forehead. Rosy noticed she was wearing what looked like an old undershirt underneath her top. Maybe that was why she was so sweaty.  
"Yeah, I like it. And I'm really good at it too. I have my own studio back in 4. Um...aren't you hot?"

"What do you mean?"  
"You're wearing an undershirt and your training clothes. Are you gonna feel all hot wearing so much?"

Esmeralda's cheeks turned red. "I, um...it's...it's not an undershirt."  
"Oh. I didn't realize."  
"Do you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Tell anyone what?" Rosy asked. Her ally was now avoiding all eye contact, staring at the ground instead. "Okay, I promise. My lips are sealed."  
"Thanks...it's not an undershirt...because it's...it's a binder. I'm...yeah."

"You're..." Everything suddenly clicked in Rosy's head. "Oh, you're trans?"  
Esmeralda just nodded. Rosy frowned. "There's no need to be so shy about it. Lots of people identify as transgender."

"I guess. It's just...I dunno...I didn't know many people back home who were...I don't want anybody thinking of me differently."  
"I don't think of you differently."

Esmeralda gave her a small smile. "Thanks."  
"No problem. Anything I can do for you? Do you want me to call you something else or...?"  
"I'm kinda going by Ember now...not officially...but if you want to call me that..."  
"If that's what you feel comfortable with," Rosy said. "...Ember."

They just nodded at each other. A pair of allies within one giant alliance.

Her hands and arms were stained with paint, but Rosy didn't care. In the distance, she could see Void waving to get her and Ember's attention. Ember glared at him. "I know he's my district partner, but I just don't trust him. He isn't supposed to be here."  
"Fair enough. This is an unconventional year."

Although she didn't let it show on her face, Rosy had a sinking feeling that with the way things were, there was a very high chance the Career pack was going to implode. And when it did, she hoped the aftermath wouldn't take her down with it.

* * *

Jennifer Gaewick, 13  
District 12 Female

* * *

"Bread?" Powder asked, holding the basket out to her.

"Sure!" Jenny fished around until she pulled out a small bite-sized loaf. Neither of them were used to having so much food at their disposal. And by Capitol standards, this was nothing. Jenny knew her family was lucky to have three meals a day, but nobody in 12 was rich enough to have bread as a side dish.

"I've never seen bread like this in my life," Jenny mused. The bread at home was clunky, tessarae-based loaves that hurt to chew.  
"Me neither. I think it's from 5 or something." Powder scooped up a forkful of mashed potatoes. "It's really good though."

All around the cafeteria, people sat at tables, eating from their trays. The Careers were one collective bunch, sans the boy from 4. The twins from 8 were at opposite ends of the room. The pair from 10 was also eating together, like Powder and Jenny.

Speaking of Powder, he didn't have a spoken agreement with her, but they came down together, hit up a bunch of stations together, and the silence said everything it needed to. Powder may have been a year older, but Jenny thought he was a fun guy to be around and generally harmless. There was safety in numbers, after all. And he wasn't a useless little kid. Jenny was young, but she wasn't stupid.

"What are you gonna do after lunch?" Powder asked her.  
"I'm not sure. Survival stuff?"  
"There's a station for finding water and purifying it. We should probably do that."

Jenny shoved another bread roll into her mouth. "Good idea."

Gradually, tributes field out of the cafeteria. Jenny and Powder joined them, making their way to the water purifying station. The trainer showed them how to build a filter and they took turns pouring a cup of muddy water through it.  
As Jenny raised the cup back to the filter, she noticed someone sit down next to them. It was Rachel from 8. She pretended to look interested in the water filters, but Jenny could tell she was here for something else.

Finally, Rachel broke the silence. "Hey."  
"Are you talking to me?" Jenny asked.

"Both of you. I have a proposal."  
"Okay, then. Shoot."  
"What do you say to an alliance?"

Jenny and Powder exchanged glances. "What kind of an alliance?" Powder asked.  
"I was thinking of getting a bunch of tributes together in one giant group. Like what the Careers do. Maybe like an anti-Career alliance, but not really? There's safety in numbers and think of all the sponsors we'd get if we promoted teamwork like that."

Powder nodded, but Jenny wasn't so sure. A large alliance sounded like they were asking to be targeted. "Who's in?"  
"The girl from 11, Elana. She said she'd join. I haven't asked everybody yet. I don't want anybody from the Career districts and I know for a fact that my brother won't join."

"Gives us a moment?" Jenny asked, before pulling Powder off to the side. "Do we want in or not?"  
"I'm down for it if you are," Powder told her. "She does make a good point. And if we don't like it, we can always leave, right?"

"Are you sure about this?"  
"Are you?"

Jenny gave it some thought. "Okay," she finally said, then turned her attention to Rachel. "We'd be happy to join."

A relived grin quickly spread on Rachel's face. "That's great! I'm going to go visit some of the other tributes today and ask them." She jumped to her feet, nearly knocking over the water filter. "And maybe you can ask around too."

"How big does she want this alliance to be?" Powder asked.  
Jenny shrugged. "I think she'd take anyone, really. I'm done with the water station. Let's go do something else."

Powder poured the cup of water back through the filter. "I'm not."  
"Come on!" Jenny grabbed Powder's hand and pulled him along with her. "Let's go do snares."

Snares were easier said than done. As Jenny tugged at the knots in her ropes, she and Powder watched Rachel walk around the room. She'd sit at a station until she had an answer from the tributes, before leaving. She was very careful to avoid the glaring DJ.

"She's really determined, isn't she?" Powder asked.  
Jenny nodded. "I hope our alliance isn't too big, though."

Powder glanced behind them where Void from 1 was launching knives at a dummy. "I just hope we can still fly under the radar."

* * *

 _Grey Hemlock, 23_  
 _District 7 Female_

* * *

Grey didn't hesitate one bit to turn Rachel down.

Yes, she was also on the lookout for a potential ally, but she wanted someone stronger and preferably closer to her age. What good could a teenage girl from 8 do for her? Grey knew it was selfish thinking, but selfless people did not win the Games. Good people did not win the Games.

She lobbed an axe at the dummy; the blade landed in its chest. Grey pulled the axe free and chopped the dummy's head off. She pretended it was a Peacekeeper. That motivated her to keep going, reducing the dummy to a bunch of cut-up pieces at her feet. The trainer just nodded and watched her quietly.

Grey decided she was done with axes for the day; she already knew how to use them. She wandered around for a bit, looking for something else to do. What other weapons could she try? Spears? Nah. Swords? Nope. Archery? Of course not! Hand-to-hand combat? Perhaps.

Little Julius from 2 was already trying his luck with a trainer, who easily overpowered him. Grey watched as Julius stalked off the mat and the trainer beckoned for her to step up. The trainer wore quite a lot of protective gear and held up a pad attached to his right hand. Grey took the hint and smacked the pad as hard as she could.

It was surprisingly easy. Grey continued with the trainer, punching the pad as hard as she could until he placed it on his other hand. He showed her his flat palm and Grey understood. That would do a lot more damage without hurting her hand. She smacked the pad with her open palm; it didn't hurt her knuckles as much.

After a while, Grey had worked up a sweat and she was starting to run out of energy. She took a break and grabbed a water bottle. Meanwhile, another woman around her age was sparring tirelessly with the trainer, giving out shouts of anger each time. The trainer managed to overpower her and threw her to the mat. The woman sighed in exasperation and stomped off.

The wheels in Grey's head were rolling. She wanted an ally that was capable of taking care of themselves and wouldn't slow her down by being a little kid she needed to drag around with her. This woman had fire within her that easily rivaled Grey's spirit.

Grey decided to talk to her.

She followed the woman to the knives station. "Hey there. I'm Grey, from 7."  
"Hera from 3. What the hell do you want?"

 _Yep. Definitely a spitfire._ "I wanted to propose an alliance between me and you."  
Hera's gaze softened a little. "An alliance, huh? What good can you do me?"

"Well, you know I'm from 7. Practically everyone there is a lumberjack. I can use an axe better than almost everyone in this room. I've seen you fight; you seem to really know what you're doing."  
Hera snickered as Grey continued. "Against the Careers, you're gonna die. We both would. But we might stand a better chance with the two of us."

Hera's face went blank as she mused over Grey's words. Hopefully, it was a strong enough case. Grey kept her own expression neutral, trying her hardest to hide the sense of relief she felt when Hera stuck her arm out and smirked.  
"You've got yourself a deal."

"Perfect." The two women exchanged a firm handshake.

Leaving Hera alone to work on her aim with the knives, Grey took a quick look around the room. Everyone seemed well aware of the tension among the Career pack, and that they were down on tribute. It wasn't a big deal, really; a pack of five trained killers was still a lethal threat. But perhaps there were fractures slowly running within the alliance.

The floodgates were bound to crack and they couldn't hold back everything forever.

Alliances didn't last forever either.

Grey knew she needed to hold Hera at arm's length; she was here to win and go home and escape the Capitol's cruel, twisted game. She was well aware of the reality; twenty-three people die for every one that gets to survive. And she was planning on doing everything she could to survive.

The sooner the Careers fell apart, the sooner she could sneak past them alive and go on her way to victory.

* * *

 _Current Alliances:_

 _The Careers:_ Void, Ember, Julius, Aurora, Rosy

 _D10 Loyalty:_ Ace, Merona

 _Safety in Numbers:_ Rachel, Elana, Powder, Jenny

 _Angery Squad:_ Hera, Grey

 _Loners:_ Palatino, Alec, Aldair, Amperia, Ezra, Deloris, Arwan, DJ, Jonathan, Autumn, Synth

* * *

 **So, that was the first day of training. Tension is starting to show and alliances are being pieced together. Updates will come out at a slower pace, now that's school's started, but I plan on trying my best to maintain some sort of schedule. Also, PC is now a year old! It went by so fast!**

 **Which alliances are you most interested in? Do you think Alec made a smart decision in leaving the Careers? Who will the Careers bring in as a replacement?**

 **Next chapter is another day of training, this time with Synth, Ezra, Deloris, and Jonathan!**

 **-Vr**


	22. Training Day II: Acquaintances

_Synthize Greene, 20_  
 _District 11 Male_

* * *

"Of course, you don't need allies," Hyacinth said as the District 11 team sat down to breakfast. "Hell, I didn't have allies. And look who won!"  
Bluebell sighed. "I know you're the mentor, Hyacinth. But Synthize and Elana can make that decision for themselves."

Synth felt Bluebell paled a hand on his shoulder. Across the table, Hyacinth scoffed. "You're both grown-ass adults! Allies will make you soft, that's what! If you want to win, you need to toughen up! Only one can survive and you better do everything to make sure that one survivor is you."  
"Didn't Bluebell and Wisteria win with the help of allies?" Elana asked timidly. "I've got a big group, and we're all-"

"That's cute, Mother Goose. You do realize you'll need to kill them all eventually?"  
Elana paused and Hyacinth turned her attention onto Synth. "You hear that? If you want to live, then your allies have to die. So...I suggest you fly it solo. But since I'm guessing you'll ignore my advice, choose someone expendable. Someone you can easily kill."

Bluebell sighed. There was an awkward tension in the air as Synth finished his breakfast, Hyacinth's words looming in the back of his mind.

 _If you want to live, then your allies will have to die._

Once he arrived, Synth headed over to the spears trainer. He'd been practicing with the weapon all day yesterday and had discovered he was surprisingly good with them. Sure, not as good as the Careers, but if Synth could hit the target, that would hopefully be enough.

He had only been practicing for about five minutes, when he heard a loud cough behind him. "Are you planning on staying here all day?"  
"Who knows," Synth said. "Maybe I do."  
Aurora clicked her tongue. "But you are good for an outlier."  
Synth sized her up. "Are you giving me a genuine compliment, or buttering me up? You're a Career and I'm from District 11."

Aurora nodded. "So, _someone_ decided to leave us, and we're looking for a new member to fill in the ranks. You're one of the older tributes, and you are pretty good with spears. You volunteered, did you not?" Her dark brown eyes looked up from head to toe.

"I volunteered for my brother, not for me."  
"You wouldn't have volunteered if you didn't think you could win."

"No, I volunteered so my brother wouldn't have to die."

Synth kicked at the floor; the forgotten spear sat loosely in his left hand. "Also, thanks but no thanks."  
Aurora frowned. "You do realize what you are saying, right?"  
"Thanks for your time. I'll see you in the arena."

Aurora huffed and stalked off. Synth took his spear and threw it. Hard. It skewered a dummy in the lower torso. The trainer nodded in approval and Synth heard someone clap. It was the boy from 4. Synth wasn't sure whether or not that was a good sign. Normally, District 4 always allied with other Careers; exiling yourself from the alliance was marking yourself for death.

"If you're gonna convince me that I'm better off with the Careers, you're wasting your time."  
"Hey, you said it, not me. I'm Alec."  
"Synth."

Alec gave him a giddy grin. He was a huge guy, but then again, Synth had always been on the shorter side of things. "The Careers will probably be after both of our hides anyways. Wanna team up?"  
Synth gave it some thought. Slowly, he nodded.

Alec's blue eyes lit up. "Great! See ya later, Synth!"

By now, Synth's arm was a little sore, so he decided to take a break. He headed to the water cooler for a drink and accidentally overfilled the little paper cup, spilling some water onto the floor. He was alone, until he noticed the pair from 10 approaching. Suddenly, the boy from 10 slipped on the puddle of water, and his foot went out from underneath him, sending him crashing to the floor. Synth choked on his water, trying not to laugh.

The girl from 10 shrieked. "Ace! You okay!?"  
"Ow...yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

Synth bent down next to him. "Here. Let me help you." As he pulled Ace to his feet, he could hear Hyacinth's voice as he glanced back at the 12 year-old girl and 15 year-old boy.

 _If you want to live, then your allies will have to die._

* * *

 _Ezra Kiskov, 19_  
 _District 6 Male_

* * *

Training was so much different than life back home.

Here, things were a little more hectic, but at the same time, there was no schedule. Ezra could visit each station as he pleased. He missed the routines of 6 a little, the strange familiarity that came with everyday life in the factory. But at least here, there was something new to do each day.  
But he didn't know anyone here.

He was spending most of his time with survival stations for two reasons. One, it just made sense. Eventually, Ezra knew he'd have to confront someone, but it was important to keep himself alive long enough to get to that point. Finding berries, making shelters, starting fires, it was all important. In 6, winter could be unforgiving. in the arena, god knows what the Gamemakers planned to throw at him.

At the same time, Ezra wanted to play a game of his own. He kept down on the low; at the survival stations, nobody noticed him. As much as Ezra wanted to go tinker in the corner with the stuff Void from 1 had, he didn't want to draw any attention. Better to be perceived as cannon fodder than a threat.

So he pretended to be extremely interested in edible plants, even though he had already learned all of it yesterday. Beside him, Erza noticed an older tribute come and play around with the berries a little. Ezra kept to himself. Until he heard a low whistle in his ear.

Ezra sighed. "Do you want something from me?"

Aldair shrugged. "Well, I didn't think you wanted to talk to me."  
"I don't see anybody else here."

"Point taken," Aldair said, rolling a small berry between his fingers. "So...talked with anyone yet?"  
"About what?"

"About allies," Aldair said, dropping the berry back onto the table. "I've been looking for some myself. How about you?"  
Ezra hesitated. He wanted someone he knew could make up for the things he lacked. He felt felt like a child compared to Aldair, who easily towered over him. And Ezra knew he was dead meat in any physical confrontation. Hell, he even sucked at survival skills!

But Aldair seemed to know what he was doing. That was reassuring enough for Ezra. He was one of the older tributes too. Ezra didn't want to give himself false hope though; in a battle with an entire pack of Careers, they were dead meat for sure.

At least he wouldn't be alone.

At least together, they stood a chance.

"No, nobody's approached me yet."  
Aldair nodded. The colour in his cheeks darkened slightly, as if he was worried about Ezra's response. "Oh! Well...I think you get where I'm going with this. Sorry, this is a bit awkward, huh?"  
Ezra giggled. "I don't think I could word it better."

He decided to go ahead and trust Aldair. The man already had all his cards laid out, with nothing left to hide. It was a strategy that didn't appeal to Ezra, but then again, to each their own. he didn't know how Aldair's mind worked. Maybe he was hoping Ezra would feel at ease around him if there was no secrets left to tell.

Great minds think alike," Aldair said, running his thumb around the rim of a bowl of leaves."What do you do back in in 6, anyways?"  
"I help design hovercrafts. It's pretty fun, actually. I mean Boss doesn't really care, as long as nobody makes a mess or misses their deadline. So I can design what I want."  
"That does sound pretty cool."

"What do you do?" Ezra asked, feeling the need to return the small talk.  
"Eh. Part-time factory job, like pretty much everyone in 5. It's not pretty, but...it pays, I guess. I wish I could say I did something like what you do, but nah. I just try not to lose my hand in conveyor belts." He wiggled his fingers and Ezra winced in sympathy.

"But hey, that's life kid.," Aldair muttered bitterly. "I wish there's more I could do and see, more people I could meet, but that's just not the Panem way."

Ezra nodded. Within ten minutes of talking to each other, he and Aldair were on a pretty similar wave length. It was funny to think about what aspects of their lives were the same and what was different, simply because they weren't born in the same district.

Aldair put down the bowl. "Well, this has been nice. I'm gonna go try starting a fire. Care to join?"

"Sounds like fun."

* * *

 _Deloris Malin, 14_  
 _District 6 Female_

* * *

The little ones had banded together.

"Good for them."

Deloris watched them from her own lunch table. There was the measly pair from 12, that girl with the purple glasses, and an older woman who wore that dress made of twigs during the parade. Names escaped Deloris; she probably could've remembered, but why bother? At the end of the day, majority of these tributes were dead meat. Deloris only cared about those who posed a major threat to her. And the littl'uns with their babysitter: no problem at all.

"Bunch of pansies," Deloris said to herself, twirling a fork in her pasta. "Nobody wins the Games through _love_. The power of friendship my ass."

And maybe, in comparison to everyone else here, she was still on the younger side. That didn't mean anything to Deloris. She didn't want to pretend she was here to play games. No, she was going to win, and if she to kill everyone in her way, then so be it.

And any allies she came across would have to be reliable, not a waste of time. So far, the Careers were out. Deloris noticed them splitting up and approaching older tributes, not her. Oh well, their loss. She didn't need them anyways.

Deloris quickly finished her lunch; most of the other tributes were still eating and she wanted a chance to practice with some weapons by herself. So far, she had tried most of them: knives, spears, machetes, stuff like that. Nobody was working with the bows, so she went there first.

As it turned out, she wasn't very good at shooting arrows. Or aiming them. Deloris put the bow down in a huff. The trainer frowned, but didn't comment. She was too busy teaching another girl how to load the bow. It was a bit comforting to Deloris, since the other girl seemed as clueless about archery as she was.

Deloris snickered; the other girl put the bow down and glared at her. "Hey. At least I'm trying!"  
"Well, what's the point? If you suck at it, than you suck."

Deloris flung the bow down; the trainer glared at her. She stomped off, looking for something better to do. Scythes? Eh, why not? However, the girl from the archery station was following her. She seemed a lot more at ease with scythes. Ugh.

"Stop following me," Deloris hissed.  
"I'm not!"

"Yes you are! What do you want from me?"  
"I'm allowed to practice with the scythes if I want. I just happen to be using them at the same time as you."

Deloris rolled her eyes. "How uncanny. But I was here first."  
"I don't care. I'm here now." The other girl smirked and slashed at a dummy, chopping its arm off. Deloris had to admit, it was pretty impressive someone so young could wiled the weapon. But she didn't want to show it, so she pretended to look bored instead.

The girl continued to hack away at the dummy. Eventually, she straightened up and wiped some sweat from her forehead. "Whew. I've never done that before."  
 _Huh. She isn't a waste of time then._ The wheels in Deloris's head started spinning.

"Um...hello?"  
"Hello. I'm Deloris Malin."  
"I'm...Autumn."

"Are you looking for a potential teammate?" Deloris asked. Autumn's eyes drifted over to where the District 12 team was attempting to build a shelter. "I...um..."

"No, no, no, not them! They'll just drag you down! You'll be wasting all your time having to protect them from everything. But not me, alright? I can take care of myself. I don't need a man or a woman, but I extend my partnership to you."

"What's in it for me?"  
"Sponsors," Deloris hastily replied. "Tons and tons of sponsors. I'll reel them in, don't worry. You just do your little dismemberment thing and we'll be fine."

Autumn nodded slowly and Deloris flashed her a huge smile.

She just hoped her new ally couldn't see that she was lying through her teeth.

* * *

 _Jonathan Firre, 12_  
 _District 9 Male_

* * *

Training was tough work.

Jonathan had spent the whole day heaving weights and axes, and admittedly showing off a little; he also begrudgingly tried sorting edible plants because his mentor, Benjamin, suggested he do so. It was a bit boring. Not like axes. Now, those were cool.

He was up on the roof now, because he didn't really want to go to bed just yet. It was pretty, with flowers and shrubs growing everywhere. There were even a few benches to sit. Jonathan walked right up to the edge of the roof, where a huge railing blocked him from going any further. He tried climbing up it, when his forehead collided with something invisible and he was thrown back.

Lying on the ground, Jonathan just stared up at the railing; he couldn't see anything until there was a faint silver ripple floating in the sky. An invisible force field? Fine. It wasn't like he was going to do anything stupid like jump off the roof. He just wanted a good view.

A loud sniffling caught his attention, followed by faint sobbing. Jonathan ducked behind a bush, and noticed a boy his age crying into his hands on the bench. Should he say something? Jonathan felt a little guilty for intruding. But he stayed where he was.

"I hate this," the other boy whispered. "I hate this so much."

Jonathan recalled seeing the boy earlier trying out a few of the other stations, only to give up after a few minutes or struggling. He didn't know how to use weapons, he couldn't build traps or start a fire. The Careers gave him side-eyes when he passed by them. He was a dead man walking.

Suddenly, Jonathan's foot slipped and he fell on his butt, kicking the bush. The boy's head jerked up. "W-who's there?"  
Jonathan crawled out form behind the bush. "Um...hey." His face went red. "Did I startle you?"

"I didn't know anyone was here."  
"Me neither. Why were you crying?"

"I wasn't crying!" the boy retorted, wiping tears from his face. "It's...it's none of your business! Leave me alone!"  
"I didn't do anything! I just want to know!"  
"It has nothing to do with you!"

"Fine!" Jonathan kicked at a fallen leaf on the ground. "I'll just leave then. You can stay here by yourself."  
"I...no, wait..."

"What?" Jonathan asked him. "You said you wanted to be left alone."  
"Actually...I changed my mind! Do what you want."  
"Are you scared?"

The other boy hesitated; his eyes started to well up again. "I'm really scared."  
"Hey, so is everybody else. Unless you're a Career, I guess."

"No, I'm not supposed to be here. My mom and my dad said so! My dad's Trebuchet Clear, the mayor! He said I'd be safe, but I'm not. I don't know how to use anything here and nobody wants to sponsor me. I'm...I'm gonna...I'm gonna..."  
He was too choked up to speak and burst into tears. Jonathan didn't know what to say.

"But if your dad's the mayor, then he probably can afford to sponsor you."  
"...you think so?"  
"He's your dad! Why wouldn't he?"

"I guess you're right...but I'm still scared. I don't wanna die."  
"I don't wanna die either."

The conversation died down. the two boys just sat on the roof, listening to the faint sounds of Capitol city life bustling below them. Finally, one of them broke the silence.

"I've always lived with my mom and dad. I guess I'm scared of dying alone. I don't really want to be alone."  
"Then you don't have to be alone."  
"What-"

"You heard me," Jonathan declared. "I'm your ally now."

* * *

 _Current Alliances:_

 _The Careers:_ Void, Ember, Julius, Aurora, Rosy

 _The Two Anti-Careers Plus D10:_ Alec, Ace, Merona, Synth

 _Safety in Numbers:_ Rachel, Elana, Powder, Jenny

 _Angery Squad:_ Hera, Grey

 _Great Minds Think Alike:_ Aldair, Ezra

 _Dismemberment and Chill:_ Deloris, Autumn

 _You're my ally now!:_ Palatino, Jonathan

 _Loners:_ Amperia, Arwan, DJ

* * *

 **Looks like more and more tributes are getting together! We've got tons of pairs working with each other now. Will any of these alliances get any bigger before the Games begin? Or perhaps...smaller? Next chapter, we've got Amperia, Aldair, and Hera narrating the final day of training.  
**

 **See you all in the next chapter,**

 **-Vr**


	23. Training Day III: Secrets

**Guess what? I have a new SYOT project out, called Rainbows and Storms. It's currently looking for tributes, so I'd really really appreciate it if you took a look at the form on my profile!**

* * *

 _Amperia Fremont, 22_  
 _District 5 Female_

* * *

They approached _her._

Amperia had been minding her own business the other day when Esmeralda and Rosemary from the Career pack approached her and asked her if she wanted a spot in their alliance. She didn't ask them, she didn't even walk up to them. They must've seen something in her that made them want her as a valuable asset in their alliance.

Truth be told, that thought was a little nerve-wracking.

Amperia wasn't intimidating or strong like them. She had never trained before, let alone touched a weapon. Maybe she could've attended whatever classes at 5's little rundown Academy. Maybe she could've taught herself how to use spears or shoot arrows, as a potential new hobby. Perhaps that was all she needed for a breather, for an escape of the rut she was in?

"What can she do?" Julius asked impatiently as the Careers eyed Amperia up and down. "She doesn't look like a Career. Why can't we talk to-"  
"This alliance has been crippled; we need to make it stronger," Void insisted. "What's your talent?"  
"M-me?" Amperia squeaked.

"He wants to know what kind of weapons you use," Rosemary explained. "What have you been training with?"  
Was this a joke? They knew she wasn't a trained Career like them. But Amperia sucked it up; she didn't want to make any enemies in the arena. "Okay. Come with me."

She led them to the obstacle course. It was one of the stations she had been really focusing on in the past few days. The trainer nodded; the station was ready for Amperia to use. She jumped to her feet and ran across. The terrain was rough and uneven, with slopes and rocks. Someone swiped a fake sword at her feet; Amperia half-jumped and half-tripped over it. Once she reached one end, she ran back, stumbling over the fake swords swiping at her ankles.

The Careers were silent, focusing on her every move. Amperia slid down the course. "T-there. If you want, I can run it again."  
"We've seen enough-" Void started, but the other Careers started muttering, drowning him out.

"Can you use weapons?" Aurora asked.  
"What else can you do?" Rosemary prodded.

"Well...I've spent some time working with traps too. I also know a bit about using knives and edible plants. I know, it's nothing to you guys..."  
"Traps work," Esmeralda said; Rosemary nodded. "Can you show us?"  
"Um...sure!"

At the traps station, Amperia set things up they way the trainers taught her. She wanted to speed up a little, but she took her time. If the Careers got bored, well they could wait. She wanted to make sure this worked perfectly. That would impress them and prove her worth.

She tied the final knots together. "A simple snare. You can add to it, whether you want to catch animals or tributes. What do you think?"

Void pulled his allies aside and they gathered in a tight circle, whispering. Amperia hoped they were impressed with her. She knows if she had the right tools, she could somehow set up an electric trap instead, guaranteed to shock its poor victims. Amperia shuddered at the thought. If it came down to it, could she really...

"We've been discussing..." Void's voice snapped her back to reality. "And we think that you'd be an acceptable for for our alliance-"  
"Cut the formality," Esmeralda sighed. "You're in."

Then they all went their ways. Amperia tinkered with her trap a little, almost shoving it over by accident. This was something new, and it was exciting. She never dared to think of what would happen if she ended up fighting for you life in the Hunger Games, let alone reaped. She never would've guessed she'd be one with the Career pack. Even if District 5's previous victories helped built a reputation and their meager Training Academy was steadily growing. Everything was so unpredictable, from the tributes to the Gamemakers to the arena to the mutts-

It was...thrilling.

Because she didn't know what was coming next.

She didn't know what everyone's next moves would be.

She had been stuck in a rut back in 5. Not here, though. Not here. No boring dead-end day jobs to work, no factories to run.

Amperia crossed her legs. Soon, the afternoon would approach and everyone would be lining up to do their Private Sessions. She still wasn't sure what to do for hers. What if her trap failed? What if she tripped over her own feet running the obstacle course?

A bell sounded, signaling a lunch break and her training days were now over.

* * *

 _Aldair Inderia, 25_  
 _District 5 Male_

* * *

"What will you do?" Ezra asked. He and Aldair were eating lunch together. In about twenty minutes, Private Sessions were about to start.  
"What about you?"  
"I'd prefer to keep it a secret."

Aldair cackled. "Well, guess I won't tell you either."  
"Awww. How's that fair?"  
"Looks like we'll both have to wait and see."

The atmosphere was a bit calmer than in the past few days as groups of tributes sat together with their alliances. Across from Aldair and Ezra, there was the girls from 3 and 7. The Careers had added a sixth member; Aldair was surprised Amperia had joined. If the Careers had approached him, he probably would've said no. Too big of a risk.

There was the quartet of the District 10 pair, plus two older guys. Another big group composed of a mix of tributes. The girl from 8 was talking to a pair of 12 year-olds who eventually left their table to go sit with her alliance. DJ was still by themselves.

"Are you nervous?" Ezra asked.  
"No. Why would I be?"  
"I'm afraid of getting targeted."

Aldair wondered what Ezra could possibly do to earn such a high score that the Careers would have to target them. "Well...it's not like we're the strongest people here, physically. I'm not worried. The guy from 4 is probably trained, so he'll get something higher than both of us."  
"You seem awfully sure."  
"I'm pretty sure."

They continued eating in silence. The sessions were now looming over them. Aldair remembered what Katarina had told him and Amperia during breakfast. While his score did not determine how successful he'd be in the Games, it still had a hefty part to play. Capitolites tended to sponsor tributes with higher scores, especially if they weren't a Career. 5 was a mixed bag, though. More often than not, they weren't Careers.

"But too high or too low of a score might mark you as Bloodbath fodder or a physical threat," Katarina had said between sips of coffee. "Just keep that in mind. The Careers might try and go after you first thing if they think you'll get in the way of them winning. Then in that case, you could try and play it safe, score somewhere in the middle. Or ask for a lower score, but that wish isn't always granted."

That would be Aldair's strategy; play it safe, lie in the middle. Of course, assuming he could achieve such a score. What if the Gamemakers didn't like what he had to show them? Maybe they thought his skills were useless? That he didn't spend his time productively training? What would happen to him and Ezra if he scored so low that the Careers would just shrug him off as dead meat?

"Are you nervous?" Ezra asked a second time.  
"I said I'm fine."  
"Alright. I believe you."

More silence. Aldair was almost done his lunch. He hoped it didn't all come back up in front of the Gamemakers. He wasn't even sure why he was nervous. _It's just a measly number, Aldair. That's it! You don't have anything to worry about!_

He just had to remind himself that.

Microphone feedback squealed through speakers on the walls, before the voice of Apollo Karaigme could be heard. "Tributes! Lunch is now over! Please wait patiently until the trainers tell you where to sit. We will being Private Sessions in ten minutes, starting with Void Zachariah and ending with Jennifer Gaewick."

"Good luck," Ezra muttered, pushing his tray across the table. "Break a leg! Actually...don't break a leg!"  
"I'll try not to."

The trainers started pointing at various tributes, directing them into a line on a steel bench. Aldair sat down between Rosemary and Amperia. The girls exchanged brief looks and that was it. Amperia nervously rubbed her hands together. Rosemary wrapped her arms around one knee and relaxed, laying back.

The tributes waited, until Void was first called up. A wave of last-minute jitters hit Aldair and his skin suddenly felt cold. He glanced over Amperia at Ezra, who quickly gave him a grin and a thumbs-up. _You'll do great,_ he mouthed.  
 _Same to you,_ Aldair whispered back.

Esmeralda Johnson was called up next and the tensions returned.

* * *

 _Hera Myrana, 24_  
 _District 3 Female_

* * *

Wedged between a sniveling 12 year-old and a Career, Hera supposed the odds weren't in her favour if she wanted to try and stand out to the Gamemakers.

Thankfully, she only had five tributes ahead of her before it was her turn. She wasn't exactly the most patient person ever. The silence was so boring and numbing that she wanted to just get up and walk off. But she couldn't do that. Not if she wanted the Gamemakers to blow her up in the arena for being such a problem. God, Freya would freak.

Freya...right, Freya. hare missed her wife dearly. She wanted to be back home with her, pretending the Games would a cold, cruel nightmare. Freya was the only person who loved Hera, and the only person Hera loved. How could fate and the Capitol be so twisted as to rip them apart?

Hera folded her arms and scowled. She had to win and get back home to her darling wife.

Time passed. Slowly. The tributes from District 1 were gone. The 12 year-old boy from District 2 had just left. Beside her, Palatino buried his head into his hands.

Hera began to think about what she'd show off to the Gamemakers. Perhaps she could try and build a piece of tech or a bomb or something. Well, she had seen Void from 1 tinkering in the corners and District 5 and 6 would probably do something like that. Wouldn't it be boring for a kid from 3 to use technology?

She had her other strengths, though. She was good with her hands.

Finally, the first two districts were gone and it was Palatino's turn. He sniffed, wiped his nose with his sleeve, and left. Hera watched him go. Fifteen minutes from now, and it would be her turn. She glanced to her left, at all of the tributes waiting behind her. She saw Grey, who just gave her a simple nod. Hera didn't know exactly what it meant, but she didn't ask.

She continued to wait.

"Hera Myrana."

It was time.

Hera got up and brushed past Palatino. She slipped into the Training Centre and the door was shut behind her.

Fifteen minutes later, her session was done and the Gamemakers told her she could leave. Hera wiped the sweat from her forehead as she walked the past the line of tributes. As she passed by, Grey reached out and Hera quickly gave her a fist bump. "See you later."

She left the Training Centre and grabbed the first elevator up to her floor. Avoxes were milling about while Byte and Gibson who looking over a strange metal plates while sitting on the couch. Hera watched as Gibson pressed a button and suddenly her face popped up, complete with a bunch of numbers.

"What's all this?" Hera asked.

Gibson used his fingers to zoom on on the hologram. "Just something for the mentors. It shows us the betting odds for each tribute."  
"That's it?" Hera wasn't interested in what stupid, ditzy Capitolites wanted to bet on her.

"We also use it to communicate with potential sponsors. Sometimes the escorts and Gamemakers contact us too," Byte said. She picked her drink off the counter and sipped it.

Gibson swiped the hologram sideways and Palatino's face appeared. "Yeah, speaking of which, has anyone seen Artemis? I tried calling her this morning but she didn't answer."

That was a weird mystery on the District 3 floor; the escort's disappearance. Hera hadn't seen Artemis since they took the train into the Capitol, but then again, could she really be bothered to care? Artemis rarely spoke to anyone and generally came off as skittish and paranoid.

"Isn't she the Head Gamemaker's sister or something?" Hera shrugged. "He probably knows where she is."  
Gibson shook his head. "He asked us last night because he doesn't know either. I mean, I'm not too worried because I know she wants privacy, but this has never happened before."

"So there's no reason to get so worked up." Hera wiped more sweat from her forehead. "Well, I'm spent. I'm gonna go take a shower."

Gibson didn't respond and Byte waved. Once Hera was in her room, she shut the door behind her. Then, she quickly stripped everything and jumped into the shower, leaving behind a pile of sweaty clothes on the floor.

It felt so good to have the rush of warm water envelope her and wipe away the dirt and grime of the day's activities. Hera gathered up all of her hair into her hand and squeezed out the water. There were so many soaps and body lotions to choose from. Some smelled of fruits. Others of flowers, or even spices. Hera opened a bottle up, and was suddenly overwhelmed by the strong smell of peppermint.

She would've stayed in there for longer, but she didn't want to waste all of the water. Hera finally turned off the tap, grabbed a towel, and dried herself off. She changed into a clean tank top and grey leggings. As she got dressed, she heard the sound of the television through the wall.

They were about to announce the scores.

* * *

 **Final day of training! I'll be honest. training days have to be my least favourite part of the Games to write. They're so tedious, but I guess they're a necessary evil. I'm glad they're finally done.**

 **Next chapter: Private Sessions as according to our favourite Head Gamemaker Apollo!**

 **Also, Rainbows and Storms is still looking for submissions. Most of the spots are open and you can find the form on m profile!**

 **-Vr**


	24. Private Sessions: 15 Minutes of Fame

**Just a reminder, Rainbows and Storms is looking for its last few submissions!**

* * *

FROM THE DESK OF APOLLONIUS PHOEBUS KARAIGME

TO:President Rosalina Alexandria Cordelia Snow

RE: The 150th Hunger Games tribute scores plus interview notes for Host of Ceremonies Tallulah Jeweltonne

 _EVERYTHING IN THIS DOCUMENT IS CONFIDENTIAL. IT IS NOT TO BE SHARED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE PRESIDENT.  
_

* * *

NAME: Void Zachariah

AGE: 25

DISTRICT: 1

SKILLS ASSESSED: Void showed for us his ability to create electrical currents, then hooked up his wires to a dummy and proceeded to electrocute it. He also put together a small tazer with his remaining scraps but did not have enough time left to complete it.

SCORE: **8**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Ask about his decision to volunteer, given that both District 1 mentors deny him being chosen at any point. Try and play a neutral angle.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: N/A.

* * *

NAME: Esmeralda Johnson

AGE: 18

DISTRICT: 1

SKILLS ASSESSED: Esmeralda showed off her ability with swords and proceeded to slice up two dummies in less than three minutes, before requesting a chance to go up against a trainer. She won three out of four fights, but did not have time to complete the fifth.

SCORE: **9**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Talk with her about her past and the current state of the Career alliance, which seems very tense.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Record shows no past self-harm or suicide attempts, although she was reportedly close with another trainee who committed suicide at age 13.

* * *

NAME: Julius Foster

AGE: 13

DISTRICT: 2

SKILLS ASSESSED: Julius spent the whole session throwing knives. We estimated he threw about twenty, before taking a quick break to relax his arm and started up again, throwing another seven. He hit majority of the dummies in lethal or semi-lethal spots, missing them entirely only three times.

SCORE: **7**

INTERVIEW NOTES: You can focus on his drive to volunteer or his training, but do not talk down to him because of his age. Tributes that young have won in the past.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: N/A.

* * *

NAME: Aurora Xu

AGE: 18

DISTRICT: 2

SKILLS ASSESSED: Aurora spent half of her session trying to climb up the ropes course with some throwing stars, then hung herself off it upside down. She then threw about a dozen stars at dummies, most of them hitting their faces, though she missed once.

SCORE: **9**

INTERVIEW NOTES: She comes from a very patriotic family, so perhaps bring them up and chat about them with her.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: N/A.

* * *

NAME: Palatino Clear

Age: 12

District: 3

SKILLS ASSESSED: Palatino was able to build a very decent-sized electronic bomb given what materials and time he had. He did not detonate it however, thank goodness, and seemed pretty teary-eyed the whole time.

SCORE: **6**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Do **NOT** , under any circumstances, bring up the Games or his family. Stick to safe topics such as his interests and hobbies.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: The circumstances behind Palatino's participation in the Games are currently under investigation.

* * *

NAME: Hera Myrana

AGE: 24

DISTRICT: 3

SKILLS ASSESSED: Hera demanded to spar up against one of the hand-to-hand combat trainers. They had a total of six fights, three of which were won by Hera. She spent the last of her session using a punching bag to cool down.

SCORE: **6**

INTERVIEW NOTES: She has a complicated family history, which will be interesting to dive into.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Record shows no visible trauma or abuse.

* * *

NAME: Alexander Thorngrove

AGE: 18

DISTRICT: 4

SKILLS ASSESSED: Alec requested to go up against a trainer, using swords. They had a total of four fights, two of which he won. He then proceeded to throw knives at dummies for the rest of his session. He threw ten knives and missed only once.

SCORE: **8**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Ask him about his decision not to join the Career alliance.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: N/A.

* * *

NAME: Rosemary Ivring

AGE: 19

DISTRICT: 4

SKILLS ASSESSED: Rosemary threw several knives at dummies, then spent two thirds of her session painting her limbs at the camouflage station in order to blend in with her surroundings. She did complete it all by the end of her session, but painted most of her body and clothes.

SCORE: **8**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Talk about her relationship with Chelsea Odair and why she volunteered for the Games.

ADDITIONAL: Record shows she has synesthesia, but it is not a hindrance.

* * *

NAME: Aldair Inderia

AGE: 25

DISTRICT: 5

SKILLS ASSESSED: Aldair showed an interest in mechanical parts, putting several scraps and pieces together to invent a strange unnamed contraption. He used to remainder of his time to identify several edible and poisonous plants.

SCORE: **5**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Talk with him his family history and his side of the story.

N/A: Record show no visible trauma from his past.

* * *

NAME: Amperia Fremont

AGE: 22

DISTRICT: 5

SKILLS ASSESSED: Amperia spent majority of her time putting together an electrical trap. While waiting for it to activate, she did a quick run on the obstacle course. By then, her trap had activated and electrocuted a dummy she set up nearby.

SCORE: **7**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Ask her for her opinion on her new alliance, the Careers.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: N/A.

* * *

NAME: Ezra Kiskov

AGE: 19

DISTRICT: 6

SKILLS ASSESSED: Ezra spent most of his time constructing a bomb, although smaller than Palatino's. He was very quiet and moved very slowly. He did not have enough time to complete it, so his bomb did not detonate, but we're thankful for that.

SCORE: **6**

INTERVIEW NOTES: He's a safe bet, so you can ask him about anything, really. Just prepare yourself for quiet answers.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: N/A.

* * *

NAME: Deloris Malin

AGE: 14

DISTRICT: 6

SKILLS ASSESSED: Deloris hopped from weapons to weapons and tried to show off as much as she could. She did not handle all weapons properly, or give us enough time to accurately judge her skills. She ended on throwing knives, in which she threw five but only two hit her target.

SCORE: **3**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Talk with her about her Games plan to try and make up for her score.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Record shows no trauma despite living conditions.

* * *

NAME: Arwan Falconer

AGE: 24

DISTRICT: 7

SKILLS ASSESSED: Despite coming from 7, Arwan showed his proficiency with knife throwing. He threw about fifteen, majority of which hit the target in at least a semi-lethal area. He also demonstrated some level of stealth, given how quiet and subtle he was the whole time.

SCORE: **6**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Ask him about his family and home life.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: N/A.

* * *

NAME: Grey Hemlock

AGE: 23

DISTRICT: 7

SKILLS ASSESSED: Unsurprisingly, her skills at using an axe. Grey aggressively attacked as many dummies as she could, messily bludgeoning them and hacking them apart. A very overwhelming show of strength, giving how sweaty she was afterwards.

SCORE: **6**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Chat with her about her home life, but change the subject if she starts acting up.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Not rebellious and has no rebel connections, but we still need to keep an eye on her, just in case.

* * *

NAME: DJ Verona (they will be referred to as DJ instead of their full name, David Verona Jr.)

AGE: 16

DISTRICT: 8

SKILLS ASSESSED: DJ asked to go up against a hand-to-hand combat trainer. They won one of two rounds, before giving up and proceeded to throw ten daggers at a dummy, missing two. The whole time, they were scowling and stomped out before their time was up.

SCORE: **5**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Ask about hobbies and try to keep the conversation light-hearted. Be respectful; do not use any pronouns or names other than what they request.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: DJ identifies as agender and uses they-them pronouns.

* * *

NAME: Rachel Verona

AGE: 16

DISTRICT: 8

SKILLS ASSESSED: Rachel did two laps on the obstacle course, then spent the rest of her session identifying edible plants. She did several rounds of this; she got less than half correct in the first round by had improved once her time was up.

SCORE: **5**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Ask her about her alliance that she seems to be the leader of; stay clear of mentioning DJ.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: N/A.

* * *

NAME: Jonathan Firre

AGE: 12

DISTRICT: 9

SKILLS ASSESSED: Jonathan tore up a dummy with a small axe, which took him almost half of his session, before demonstrating how many push-ups and sit-ups he could do. He managed about ten of each before collapsing.

SCORE: **4**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Ask him about his family life and his numerous siblings.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: N/A.

* * *

NAME: Autumn Farro

AGE: 15

DISTRICT: 9

SKILLS ASSESSED: Autumn went up against a trainer using scythes, and then sickles. She did not win either match, but held her ground very well to draw out the length of the matches. There was no time left for anything else.

SCORE: **5**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Ask her about her background, which will explain her weaponry skills.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: N/A.

* * *

NAME: Ace McCree

AGE: 15

DISTRICT: 10

SKILLS ASSESSED: Ace showed off his ability to identify edible plants and insects, getting over half correct the first time, then three-quarters the second time. He then fired a slingshot at a target, missing a few times.

SCORE: **5**

INTERVIEW NOTES: See if you can coax him into talking about his family history.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Record shows no visible trauma.

* * *

NAME: Merona Timmons

AGE: 12

DISTRICT: 10

SKILLS ASSESSED: Merona showed her climbing abilities by climbing up the ropes structure as fast as she could. She then proceeded to put together a fire and spent three minutes trying to light it, before finishing off with firing at a dummy with a slingshot.

SCORE: **5**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Again, safe bet. You could talk with her about anything.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: N/A.

* * *

NAME: Synthize Greene

AGE: 20

DISTRICT: 11

SKILLS ASSESSED: Synthize skewered three dummies in the neck with spears, then asked to fight a trainer. They had one really long fight that ended in a draw.

SCORE: **6**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Get him to open up about his family life and the younger brother he volunteered for.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Record shows no visible trauma.

* * *

NAME: Elana Briar

AGE: 21

SKILLS ASSESSED: Elana built two simple snares, then identified edible plants and insects. She also sent aside many plants that have medical properties and demonstrated knowledge of ways to prepare a few of them.

SCORE: **5**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Ask her about her alliance; try to stay away from her family.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Record shows no visible self-harm or suicide attempts.

* * *

NAME: Powder Riddell

AGE: 14

DISTRICT: 12

SKILLS ASSESSED: Powder took all our remaining scraps and spent almost the whole sessions trying to fashion them together into a spear. He prodded a dummy with the spear, causing its tip to break off.

SCORE: **4**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Safe bet. Ask him about hobbies and the like.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: N/A.

* * *

NAME: Jennifer Gaewick

AGE: 13

DISTRICT: 12

SKILLS ASSESSED: Jennifer spent the entire session sorting edible plants and insects. It took her multiple tries, until she was eventually able to properly identify all plants, separating the poisonous from the edible.

SCORE: **3**

INTERVIEW NOTES: Safe. Talk with her about anything.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: N/A.

* * *

Apollo sighed as the document was sent off, to be viewed by President Snow. He didn't like to adjust scores to ensure particular tributes would be targeted, because it attracted too much unwanted attention. He held his breath, under the assumption no scores were to be adjusted, not after he spent way too much time assigning them.

Half an hour passed, and he was sipping some hot chocolate, catching up on emails in the empty office. _Ping!_ The document was back. Apollo scrolled down to see the President's signature of approval...

Before his screen suddenly shifted into static and the document popped back up, this time covered in black scribbles.

"The fuck!?" Apollo said loudly to himself. He couldn't read a damn thing, except for Palatino's score, which had a new red number drawn over it.

"No! No, no, no, no, no! Who did this!? Did the President see this!?"

Nobody was around to reply to Apollo as he frantically typed out a new email to both President Snow and Tallulah Jeweltonne, confirming the original tribute scores. It sent without a hitch. Tallulah responded back with a smiley face emoji, which indicated she had seen it. Apollo relaxed slightly. Until a new email popped up. Apollo groaned and clicked on it. His eyes went wide.

 **BOLD OF YOU TO ASSUME YOU'VE WON.**

Apollo slammed his laptop shut, unplugged it, tucked it out of his arm, and dashed out of the office. He nearly smacked into Cherry, who seemed just as surprised to see him. "Apollo? What happened?" Are you okay?"

Apollo opened his mouth to speak. No sound came out. Cherry reached out and patted his arm. "Oh I see. You don't want to tell me. It's fine. I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Karaigme."  
"Yes..." Apollo nodded and walked off. His hands were shaking.

What was going on!?

* * *

 **Thought I'd spice up the boring Private Sessions a little. Did any of the scores surprise you? Who's messing with Apollo? What could the scores have anything to do with it?**

 **Next chapter, we'll be going over the tribute scores with Autumn, then having a meet-up with Juno Snow, the President's son. And surprise, it's a check-in chapter!**

 **This chapter's check-in question is: What is your tribute's favourite food? You can respond via Pm either to me or Mars (spaceMars) or via Discord.**

 **-Vr**


	25. Score Reveal: Take It On The Run

**We are still missing check-ins for the following tributes:**

 **Julius Foster (also missing check-in 1)**  
 **Aurora Xu (also missing check-in 1)**  
 **Palatino Clear (also missing check-in 1)**  
 **Rosy Ivring**  
 **Grey Hemlock**  
 **Jonathan Firre (also missing check-in 1)**  
 **Autumn Farro**  
 **Merona Timmons (also missing check-in 1)**

 **Please see the author's note at the end of Chapter 24 for the check-in question, and at the end of Chapter 17 for the first check-in question. Check-ins can either be submitted to either of us through PM, or on Discord.**

* * *

 _Autumn Farro, 15_  
 _District 9 Female_

* * *

Autumn and Deloris had agreed to watch the score reveal together, on the District 6 floor. Jonathan had gone with his alliance to the District 12 floor while Deloris's district partner, Ezra, was watching with his ally Aldair. Benjamin had insisted on accompanying her, just to keep things civil between the two District 6 mentors. According to pretty much everything and everyone, all they did was bicker.  
That was obvious from the start. As the TV was turned on, Junpei and Spencer got up and left, sniping at each other. Benjamin sighed.

"I bet I got something really high," Deloris bragged. "I showed them everything! I know how to sue every weapon! I'm a jack of all trades after all!"  
"Master of none," Autumn whispered under her breath, with her fingers crossed in hopes of her knowledge of scythes and sickles was impressive enough to get something decent.

"Don't worry about it," Benjamin assured the two girls. "I'm sure your mentors have told you time and time again that scores are not everything and they don't matter once you hit the arena."  
"My mentor tells me nothing," Deloris retorted and Autumn nodded. "Yeah. Harper never told me that."

Benjamin frowned. Autumn didn't blame him, since he was so busy helping out Jonathan, who was constantly peppering Benjamin with questions, but Harper wasn't exactly the useful mentor District 9 had ever conjured up. "All she does is lie around and smoke."  
"I'll talk to her about that," Benjamin promised.

Finally, it was time. Deloris turned up the volume to block out Junpei and Spencer's shouts as Tallulah Jeweltonne appeared, dressed to the nines. Her bright blonde hair was streaked with pink and she wore a velvet blazer over a teal blouse. Her long, manicured fingernails held a single sheet of paper.  
"Goooood evening Panem! Tonight, it's the score reveal for all our lovely tributes in this year's Hunger Games!" She gave the camera a huge grin and Autumn suddenly felt uncomfortable. Nothing about the woman's appearance screamed natural.

"First up, Void Zachariah of District 1 with a score of...Eight!

And his district partner Miss Esmeralda Johnson with a score of...Nine!"

Autumn didn't think too much of it. Typical Career scores. Tallulah beamed as she took a sharp breath and continued.

"Next up, the scrappy Julius Foster with a score of...Seven!"

"Aurora Xu with a score of...Nine!"

"From District 3, Palatino Clear with a Score of...Twelve!"

"Autumn." Benjamin's voice was suddenly very stern and Autumn snapped to attention. Deloris looked up too. "Stay away from him. Tributes who score a legitimate twelve are rare, even among Careers. Whatever is going on between him in the Gamemakers, do not interfere. He's being targeted."

Autumn nodded and sucked in her breath. Even Tallulah was surprised, before resuming her composure. "While spitfire Hera Myrana has received a score of...Six!.

"Our token surfer boy Alexander Thorngrove has received a score of...Eight!

"And Rosemary Ivring is walking away with a score of...Eight!

"From District 5, Aldair Inderia with a score of...Five!

"His partner Amperia Fremont with a score of...Seven!?

"Next, Ezra Kiskov's score...Seven!"

Deloris giggled. "It's my score! If Ezra can get a seven, I can too!"

"The spunky Deloris Malin with a score of...Three."

Deloris sputtered. "Wha...what!? A three!? A three! But...but that's...three...it's nothing!"  
Autumn shrugged. "I guess the Gamemakers don't like jacks."  
"There is no way that was only worth a three! It can't be!"

Autumn watched the rest of the scores impatiently. "From District 7, brooding Arwan Falconer with a...Six! And our lovely lumberjack Grey Hemlock with a score of...Six! Our token firecracker Dj Verona with a...Five! And their sister Rachel Verona with...Five as well! From 9, little Jonathan Firre has scored a...Four!"

Autumn crossed her fingers.  
"And Autumn Farro with a score of...Five!"

That was underwhelming. But a five. That was two points higher than her ally got. Autumn laughed nervously while Benjamin rubbed her shoulder. "Aw, cheer up. You did well. A five is a lot more powerful than you think."  
"Yeah, they obviously like you more than me," Deloris pouted.

Autumn just laughed, trying to ignore the building tension in the room.

* * *

 _Juno Snow, 60_  
 _Son of President Snow_

* * *

"And in District 10, Ace McCree with a score of...Five!

"And next is Merona Timmons with a lovely...Five!

"From 11, Synthize Green has received a score of...Six!

"And Elana Briar with a score of...Five!

"Next up, Powder Riddell with a score of...Four!

"And finishing things off with Jennifer Gaewick, who has earned a...Three!"

Juno rested his head against his fist. Tallulah folded her hands together. "Oh my, my! And there we have it, the scores of the 150th Hunger Games! Remember Capitol, betting stations open up tomorrow! That's all I have, and goooodnight Panem!"

The second Tallulah was finished speaking, Juno turned off the TV. Beside him, his two youngest kids began to complain. Little Evangeline grabbed her father's leg. "Come on Daddy!"  
"I said you could stay up to watch the scores, did I not?"  
"But they're not done!"

"I think they are done, sweetheart." Juno patted his daughter's head. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Evangeline's older brother, Jericho, began to pout. "Come on Dad, ten more minutes!"  
"I'm not falling for that," Juno sighed. "Ten minutes will become twenty minutes and the next thing I know, nobody has slept. Both of you, get ready for bed."

"Will you read me a story, Daddy?" Evangeline asked as Juno slowly detached her from his leg.  
"In a few minutes, Snowflake. I have to make a very important call."

The second the kids were upstairs, Juno quickly dialed a very familiar number on his personal cell phone. "I'd like to speak to the President."  
The secretary on the other end huffed. "And you are?"  
"I'd be surprised if you didn't recognize my voice by now, Jolene."

There was a loud beep, then the tired voice of President Rosalina Snow. "Juno..."  
"I don't think that score makes our work any easier, Mom."

"Oh, of course not! There's just so much going on right now. Apollonius sent me two copies of the scores and both of them were untouched! We're investigating Ms. Jeweltonne right now, but she insists she didn't change it herself and that the script was sent to her altered."

"Have you investigated the studio?"  
"It's a working process," President Snow sighed. "And I don't like abrupt changes, but I don't think I have a choice."  
"What changes? What are you going to do?"

"I'm pushing the Games back a day."

Juno nearly dropped the phone on his feet. "You what!?"  
"We need more time to sort things out. Time we don't have. Apollonius agrees with me that an extra day gives us a chance to do some more thorough investigation. It has to be some intercepting rebel. Hopefully, we can find them in 24 hours."  
"What about the tributes?"

"We'll create a distraction. For them and for the press. Juno, honey, I really wish I could come up with another solution, but we're on such short notice."  
"I understand," Juno said quietly. "Mom, please call me if you need help with it. I will not let some rebel scum hurt me or my family."

"My noble little baby," the President laughed weakly. "Can you get me some research?"  
"On what?"  
"On Artemis Karaigme."

Juno paused. "The Head Gamemaker's sister. And the District 3 escort."  
"Precisely. The one who started this whole mess. Nobody has seen her since the tributes arrived in the Capitol."

Neither had Juno. He gave it some thought. "I'll reach out to my contacts. See if they know anything."  
"Thank you so much, Juno. Anyways, I've got to get back to work now. Tell the kids I say hi."

There was a soft click and all Juno heard on the other end was silence. He shoved the phone back into his pocket. The conversation had been very draining and there was just too much to unpack in one night. So for now, he was going to act like a traditional Capitolite.

Tuck the political turmoil away in his mind in favour of bread and circuses.

* * *

 **A bit of a short chapter, but mainly because we have less POVs. Also more spicy subplot stuff!**

 **What do you think of everything that's going on so far? Did Rosalina and Apollo make the right decision? Are there any other characters that catch your eye?**

 **Next up, interviews! We'll be seeing the first half of the interviews with Ember and Julius!**

 **-Vr**


	26. Interview Pt 1: Reveal The Secrets

**We are still missing check-ins for the following tributes:**

 **Julius Foster (also missing check-in 1)**  
 **Aurora Xu (also missing check-in 1)**  
 **Palatino Clear (also missing check-in 1)**  
 **Rosy Ivring**  
 **Grey Hemlock**  
 **Autumn Farro**  
 **Merona Timmons (also missing check-in 1)**

 **Please see the author's note at the end of Chapter 24 for the check-in question, and at the end of Chapter 17 for the first check-in question. Check-ins can either be submitted to either of us through PM, or on Discord.**

 **Trigger warning: some slight deadnaming, misgendering, and transphobia in Ember's POV. Please proceed with caution.**

* * *

Ember Johnson, 18  
District 1 "Female"

* * *

This was not the way things were supposed to go.

Ember leaned up against the back of his seat, foot tapping against the floor. He had such a fight with his stylist to please, for Snow's sake, just let him wear some pants. He didn't hate the dress she designed for him; he thought it was absolutely gorgeous. But tonight, he needed to be taken seriously and that meant wearing a simple, yet elegant suit.

Tonight, he was finally coming out.

Ember smoothed out his dark purple jacket, folding the collar of his white shirt underneath. Rosy just watched, then fixed it for him. "Are you nervous?"  
"A little," Ember admitted.

"I can see why...but you'll be great. I promise."

Ember swallowed nervously. "Right, I can do this. Thanks, Rosy."  
Rosy laughed as an Avox ushered her back into line. Tallulah Jeweltonne appeared onstage, wearing the poofiest pink dress Ember had ever seen. Her teeth were blindingly white and her hair piled up on her head. She waved to the cheering audience, fully bathed in the bright spotlight.

Ember wiped his sweaty hands on his tux. This was his moment.

"Knock 'em dead," Void whispered and Ember felt his blood boil. He couldn't explain why the older man annoyed him so much. Void wasn't even supposed to be here! If everything had just gone to plan, Prince would be standing behind him and the Career pack wouldn't be a jumbled mess. Especially with Void acting like he ran the place. Who did he think he was!?

"Time for our first tribute to make the stage, the lovely Esmeralda Johnson!"

Taking a deep breath, Ember strode up onto the stage. He waved at the crowd and smiled, hoping to mask his nerves. Tallulah patted the chair next to her. "Esmeralda, dear, welcome! I'm surprised..I was told you had a lovely gown waiting for you!"

Devote had warned him about this. Tallulah was notorious for her insensitivity and crass remarks. Ember needed to regain control and _fast_. "Eh, I'm a slacks and suits kind of Career. What, you don't think purple suits me?"  
The crowd laughed. Good. Now was the time. Ember tugged at his ponytail and took a deep breath.

"And while we're on the topic of clothes, the reason I'm wearing a suit is because of an announcement I'd like to make...I'm transgender. I'm a boy and I'd like to be addressed as Ember. Ember Johnson...the next Victor of the Hunger Games!"

There was a minute of silence. Suddenly, everyone began to clap. Out of the corner of his eyes, Ember spotted Rosy flash him the thumbs-up. His cheeks flushed. He could feel an invisible weight lift off his shoulders. He finally managed to get his secret out...and it felt so good.

"Ember, that...what a way to start off the night! How long have you known?"  
"Probably since I was about thirteen and my best friend, Amber, helped educate me more about the topic. As a matter of fact, I chose my name to honour her. She was very confident and brave to be her own person, despite the ridicule I got. It's a shame she couldn't be here to see this, so I'm doing this for her."

Ember continued to talk above Tallulah for the rest of his time, right until the applause was thunderous as he finally left the stage, heart soaring. He hoped his parents were happy to finally hear who he was and that he had no more secrets to keep.

Void was up next. His dark grey tuxedo had thin black stripes running down it. He gave a charming smile as he shook Tallulah's hand, then kissed it. Ember rolled his eyes.  
"Ah, you gentleman! So why are you here, Void?"

"I'm here to get the money I need to provide my lovely girlfriend and my future bundle of joy a new life. My girl, Nikia, has brought out the good in me. She's made me become a better person and everything I do, I do it for her. Really, this is the only way I can pay her back. Nikia, you're the light of my life and I love you."

The audience shrieked in joy. Ember didn't. He knew of Void's playboy reputation and his tendencies to sleep with other women. As Void came backstage, he reached out and patted Ember's leg. "How come you never told anyone, kid? You waited until the last possible second?"  
"That's none of your business."

Aurora was next, in a tight grey and white dress that hugged her figure. Despite the energetic atmosphere, she kept her cool. Her answers were short and curt.  
"I've been training since birth and I plan to win these Games," she said politely. It's my calling."  
"And how do you plan to do that?"  
"I've trained. And I know exactly what to do."

Julius skipped onto the stage next. His grey tux, black tie, and loafers made him look like a charming gentleman. He innocently cocked his head to the side as he sat down. Tallulah gushed. "Ah, what's a cute little boy doing with all the Careers?"  
"I'm gonna win! Duh!"  
"And what about your size?"

Julius seethed. "Don't underestimate me! I'm still deadly!"

Hera stomped up to the stage, arms crossed. She had on a shiny gold pantsuit with bronze accents. She gave no chance for Tallulah to speak, launching off into her own rant instead. "Do you have any idea how much I miss my wife? She's the only person who ever cared about me no matter what and I will not let us be torn apart!" The crowd clapped loudly, somewhat oblivious to what she was accusing them of.

The crowd was slightly relived at Palatino, who was swamped in his white tuxedo and large top hat. Tallulah asked him about his strategy, to which he jumped off the chair and threw his hat aside.

"How dare they! HOW DARE THEY! They hid this from me for 12 years! Did they not have any faith in my, their only child!? Did they not think I was strong enough!? All that time I spent tinkering away, did they not think it was useful! They've counted me out, _'for my own protection'_ and look where I ended up!"

Palatino didn't stay any longer. He stormed off, leaving a dazed Tallulah behind. Ember just winced; the interviews had started off strong, but everything was falling apart faster and faster.

* * *

 _Julius Foster, 13_  
 _District 2 Male_

* * *

He was a little peeved his interview was over.

But he was still running off adrenaline and hype and they were only a quarter of the way in.

Now, _this_ was some exciting stuff.

Julius giggled as the shitstorm of District 3 was finally over with Rosy's appearance onstage. She had on a sea green ballgown and golden jewellery. There were even gems on her face. Rosy pinned her hair up as she sat down, flashing a dazzling smile.

Tallulah patted her leg. "My, that's strangely reminiscent of the gown Chelsea Odair wore during her victory interview! Care to explain, sweetie?"  
Rosy laughed nervously, hands still behind her head. "Oh please, we're just good friends! I've taught her all she knows, and she's taught me all she knows. We're down to give District 4 back-to-back victors this year!"

Alec's suit was all blue, with the various shades shaped like the waves and the tides. He seemed a bit nervous at first, stepping onstage. Good. Julius scowled; he really hoped Alec finally realized what a traitor he was to the Careers. But when Tallulah asked him about it, he had the audacity to just shrug it off.

"All I'm doing is planning my game and my strategy to win. The Careers aren't happy? Too bad!"

The final Career was up. Amperia's dark blue gown was studded with tiny blinking lights. She gave a nervous smile, before her face morphed into a calm and collected expressions as she folded her hands over her lap. Tallulah asked her about her alliance, to which she just shrugged.

"District 5 is beyond ready to become Careers. They clearly see I have potential to replace the member they lost. I feel confident enough we can do great things as a group, and our variety of talents and personalities makes us a force to be reckoned with."

Aldair quickly hurried up afterwards in a black tux; now that there were no Careers left, Julius felt a little bored. Aldair didn't smile, but propped his chin up on his fist. Tallulah asked him about his alliance and his thoughts on his district partner's allies.

Aldair just shrugged. "Why are you asking me? Ask her! I have my alliance and she has hers. Two different strategies; it's like apples and oranges!"

The audience was deadly silent when Deloris strutted onstage in the ugliest dress Julius had ever seen. It was a bright yellow and did not fit her at all. Julius snickered, getting a round of glares from the other tributes. Deloris just gave a fake grin.

Hands tucked behind her head, Deloris's sexual appeal did not work with her outfit at all. She tried laughing it off, but once her interview was done, she scowled and stomped off, slapping away the hand of an Avox trying to assist her. "Fuck off! This stupid dress!"

"It's not that funny," Aurora hissed to Julius, who just shrugged in response. To him, it kind of was.

Ezra was not wearing a suit, rather he had on a tweed jacket, a white dress shirt, and his hair in a high ponytail to keep it out of his way. His shoes were dark purple flats, but everyone could see his stripes socks underneath. It was hard to tell whether he hadn't noticed or didn't care.

Tallulah's first question was about hobbies, but she didn't get another one in before Ezra suddenly went off on a tangent about his work at home and how much he loved it. His time was nearly up before he realizing what was going on. "Whoops. I got a little carried away...I like to talk about my job...I'm really passionate about it!"

The buzzer rang.

Everyone was clapping politely. A single spotlight fell on Tallulah. "And there you have it. Okay everyone, we're gonna have a 15 minute intermission. When we come back, we'll be interviewing the other 12 tributes of the 150th Hunger Games!"

As the crowd cheered, Julius wrapped his head around everything he had heard. Ember's big reveal, Palatino and Hera's outbursts, Alec's complete lack of respect for the Careers, Ezra's nonstop rambling. Admittedly, he was a little peeved nobody was paying him attention anymore, but these interviews were pretty dang exciting. Way better than he anticipated!

Julius hoped the next half was just as good.

Ember and Rosy were whispering in the corner, while Aurora and Void had already headed upstairs to change. The District 3 pair left shortly afterwards, with Alec awkwardly sitting at the other side of the room alone. Aldair and Ezra were right next to each other while Amperia eventually moved over to join her remaining allies.

The 15 minutes were up and the second half of interviews was just about to begin.

* * *

 **First time writing interviews in this format and I hope I did a good job. What did you think of the first half? What do you think will happen in the second?**

 **Also, big big announcement! Mars and I have started a side project to PC called "We Don't Need Another Hero", a collection of oneshots detailing the Victors from this verse. The first few chapters are already up and it can be found on Mars's profile. We'd really appreciate it if you checked it out...perhaps leaving a review too?**

 **More story talk going on over at my Discord server! PM me for a link!**

 **That's all I have to say! See you in the next chapter!**

 **-Vr**


	27. Interview Pt 2: The Night Is Done

**We are still missing check-ins for the following tributes:**

 **Julius Foster (also missing check-in 1)**  
 **Aurora Xu (also missing check-in 1)**  
 **Palatino Clear (also missing check-in 1)**  
 **Grey Hemlock**  
 **Merona Timmons (also missing check-in 1)**

 **Please see the author's note at the end of Chapter 24 for the check-in question, and at the end of Chapter 17 for the first check-in question. Check-ins can either be submitted to either of us through PM, or on Discord.**

 **Trigger warning: some misgendering in Rachel's POV. Please proceed with caution.**

* * *

 _Rachel Verona, 16_  
 _District 8 Female_

* * *

Why was she so nervous?

Rachel wiped her sweaty palms on dark purple dress. She began to blink rapidly, still trying to adjust to the feel of contact lenses in her eyes. But she thought they helped complete her look, and the deep purple dress she was wearing. She felt so refined in it, with its single strap over her left shoulder.

Tonight, she'd be playing the part of Rachel Verona, District 8 tribute. And she wasn't sure if she had memorized all her lines.

And truth be told, she wasn't ready to reveal herself to the Capitol.

Grey was up first, as the audience filed back into their seats after a good break. She had a denim coverall dress over a white T-shirt, complete with a white fedora and black ankle boots. Rachel thought the outfit made her look like a teenager as she strutted up to Tallulah, whose makeup had been completely redone.

Tallulah asked her a few questions about her experiences in the Captiol. Grey's answers were very simple and direct, lacking any emotion whatsoever. "It's been fine, I guess. I'm just too focused on the Games and everything." She shrugged and Tallulah deflated a little. No juice to the meat. Rachel smirked.

Arwan calmly walked up in a fitted black suit with a green tie. Tallulah fawned as he took her hand and kissed it. As soon as she asked him about his home life, he started off into a passionate speech about his dedication to his wife and future babies that lasted the entirety of his interview.

"Maeve means so much to me. I worry for her, going through this all alone. So I'm going to win for her, for myself, and for our family. I'm her husband, their father, and I will do my duty to protect them from any harm that comes their way."

The crowd whooped and hollered, moved by his words. Rachel wiped her hands again. Her heart began to pound. She quickly glanced behind her, where Elana held up crossed his fingers and Jenny and Powder waved. DJ just rolled his eyes. Right...she could do this...she had acted at home before, what was the difference?

The bright lights instantly made her blush and she nervously sat down, then gave a small grin. Tallulah giggled and bumped her shoulder. Suddenly, Rachel felt overwhelmed by all these faces staring at her. She took a deep breath and clenched her hands into fists.  
"Hello, Rachel! How are you tonight?"

"I'm good..." Rachel laughed. Right, right, right. Just simple little questions to answer. "I'm just...very excited!"  
"I can see that! What's it like, being here with your twin? I hear you two are not allies?"  
"N-no! I have my own sturdy group that doesn't need to include him!" _Why did you say that, DJ's a them_. "We're a tight-knit bunch and I believe that together, we're strong enough to win!"

The buzzer went off. Rachel stood there for a moment, basking in the applause, before she finally climbed off the stage. Her dear twin DJ was next. Rachel just crossed her arms and waited.

To both of their disappointment, DJ was wearing a purple blazer, whiter dress shirt, and a silk black tie, all of which complemented Rachel's dress very well. They made eye contact and DJ grimaced. When would their stylists learn they wanted nothing to do with each other?

Sitting down, DJ instantly tensed up. His eyes began to dart back and forth and a tear appeared in the corner of his eyes. Rachel's fingers curled into fists again. What was he doing? Why the hell was he so nervous? What was going on?

Tallulah noticed too. "DJ?"  
"I...I'm..."  
"Don't worry, it's just a few minutes. Tell me about your home life! What do you like to do?"

"I..." DJ gasped. "I like to...at home, I write poems, and...I..."  
"Is there something on your mind? Would you like to tell everyone about your-"

"Forget it!" DJ shrieked, hands suddenly slapped over ears. "I'm...I'm...I fucked up! It was all my fault! My sister was right to hate me, because I was the coward and I blamed it all on her! I don't...I deserve it...I..."

The crowd was silent. DJ jumped out of the chair and tore across the stage. He, no _they_ , brushed past Rachel, who could hear their faint sobs. The other tributes were stunned.  
"DJ-" Rachel wailed.  
"Fuck off!"

Rachel froze as her twin disappeared into the elevator. Tears blurred her vision as Tallulah continued the interviews onward like nothing had happened. But DJ's words echoed in her ears, about how she hated them. She had mocked them for their gender, their pronouns, their behaviour, and their fears. It wasn't their fault. It was hers.

What had she done!?

* * *

 _Elana Briar, 21_  
 _District 11 Female Tribute_

* * *

Elana was stunned.

It seemed that everyone else was too. Tallulah called Autumn up to the stage with a nervous laugh, still as smiley as she had always been. Almost as if nothing had ever happened. As if she hadn't led to a young teen running off the stage in tears because of her insensitivity.

Autumn wore a a cropped white and silver shirt, with a flowing gold skirt, and all sort of bangles on her arms. It was reminiscent of her chariot outfit, and she held her own quite well, even though a good portion of her midriff was bare. Elana frowned; if her own stylists wouldn't have her wear that, then whose idea was it to sexualize the hell out of this little girl?

Autumn played the part though, cocking her head and batting her eyelashes the whole time in a very flirty way. "Oh yeah, we in 9 are trained to work part-time in the fields from a young age. I've gotten quite some time to hone up on my scythe skills, but make no mistake, it can be very dangerous if you don't know what you're doing."

Jonathan seemed a bit displeased with his tight grey tux, and how it seemed to restrict his movement a little. His interview was smooth, until Tallulah mentioned his six siblings. That set him off fast. "I have seven siblings, seven! Get it right next time!"

Merona was also wearing grey, but with a frilly skirt and black flats. Her hair fell in pigtails down her back. She was shy but smiley and the audience cooed as she answered her questions with quite the display of innocence. Even Tallulah was a little flustered.

"I do miss my mom and dad a bit; I've never been away from home for this long. And my dog. he's such a great friend and he always makes me happy. I hope he doesn't miss me too much!"

Elana's heart was on the verge of breaking for this poor little girl. And all the other kids that were here, forced to hold their grounds against adults like her. She brushed a tear out of her eyes. Could she really hurt any of these kids when the time came?

Ace kept pulling at the collar of his dark grey blazer, sporting a scratchy blue sweater underneath and brown shoes. Similar to Merona, he was also very bubbly until Tallulah asked him about his family. The colour began to slowly drain from his face.

"Um..my brother and I live with our stepmother...and our much older brother, but he's actually my stepbrother..." Ace trailed off, blinking rapidly as the buzzer rang out. He quickly shuffled off the stage.

Elana's stomach suddenly lurched. She was carefully helped onto the stage to the sound of roaring applause. She smoothed out her dress; it was chocolate brown, with a intricate pattern woven over the top to resemble the branches she had worn during the Parade. It looked really pretty, but she couldn't shake the feeling she was being judged, somehow.

"Welcome, Elana!" Tallulah's sickly sweet voice boomed in her ears. "How are you tonight?"  
"I'm fine, I suppose."  
"I believe we've met a few of your allies so far! You appear to be a big group?"

"Yeah." Elana paused for a moment to get her bearings together. She didn't feel like smiling the least bit, but did so anyways. "I guess you could say, I'm like the mom of the group. I don't think it's fair to pit all the adults against the kids, so I'm here to even out the playing field. We're a close group and I think we can do some great things."

The audience clapped and the buzzer rang. God, those had to be some of the longest minutes in her life. Elana was glad to be off the stage and leaned up against a wall at the back, feeling the coolness of it with her fingers. It was overwhelming to fake how happy she truly felt.

Her district partner, Synth, was next. His suit was a dark green with accents of brown and a tie painted like an evergreen tree. naturally, Tallulah first asked him about his reason to volunteer. Synth rolled his eyes; Elana knew he was tired of explaining it all the time.

"Because I love my brother, and it's my job to protect him from harm. He had a bad accident a few years ago that left him paralyzed from waist down. I knew he's independent and can take care of himself, but I'm here to keep him safe. And I'm going to come home to him and the rest of my family."

Once Synth left, Jennifer skipped onto the stage in sparkly yellow dress lined with orange. She looked very cute, Elana thought. Everyone else seemed to agree as well. Tallulah lost control of the interview very quickly as Jennifer began to ramble on and on.

"Oh, Powder's my main ally and we're with Rachel and Elana and their group. I like it, really! Everyone is good at different things and we seem to click in a weird way I can't really explain. It feels like I've known Powder for a very long time. We spent our all time training together and we're really good at it!"

Finally, it was time for the last interview of the night. Powder's suit was black like coal, and he wore a green shirt underneath. He tapped his brown shoes against the floor, and it was clear he wasn't going to be as talkative as Jennifer. He was very polite however.

"I like designing and creative stuff. I'm really good at it. It's nice to think outside the box and do new things."

"Right!" Tallulah seemed a little disappointed that the interviews did not end on such a dramatic note. She signed herself off and the crowd clapped for the last time that night.

"You two did great," Elana told the District 12 pair, who both beamed at each other. "Anyways, Rachel said she wants to hold a meeting on the roof tonight-"  
"I'm cancelling it."

Rachel folded her arms, staring down at her feet. "Sorry guys. I'm just not in the mood tonight."  
"Are you okay?" Elana asked.  
"I said I'm fine."

"I bet it's about DJ," Jennifer whispered to Powder, who agreed. Elana had to agree as well; DJ had place a tense atmosphere over everything and there was no way to shake it off. "Rachel, if you wanna talk about it-"

"No! I don't! Just...leave me alone, alright? I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

* * *

 **Finally, the interviews are done! Which one was your favourite? Which tributes stood out to you the most? Do you think Rachel might able to right her wrongs with DJ?**

 **Typically, this is the last night before the Games, but as we know, President Snow and Apollo have extended everything by a day. So next chapter will feature some other characters and the tributes have an exciting day ahead of them!**

 **See you next chapter!**

 **-Vr**


	28. I Wanna Know What Love Is

**More story talk going on over at my Discord! PM me for a link!**

* * *

 _Pete Vermont, 40_  
 _District 10 Mentor and Victor of the 125th Hunger Games_

* * *

"We're going somewhere, right?" Ace prodded for the tenth time. "I'm tired of sitting in my room all day!"

The entire District 10 team, Pete, Sadie, Ace, Merona, and Prisma were all sitting in a limos with tinted windows that presented them from looking outside. Pete had been the first one awake when Apollo sent him a notice stating that the Games were being pushed back an extra day due to unforeseen circumstances and there would be something provided for the tributes to do. Except there was nothing to do and they had spent all morning cooped up on their floor.

"I think we should be here by now," Pete mused. He rolled down the window. "Oh look."  
"A carnival!" Ace gasped and Merona's eyes went wide. "Look, a Ferris wheel!"  
"Have you ever been on a Ferris wheel, Ace?" Prisma asked.

"Well, no...but I want to! It looks so much fun!"  
"I'll go with you," Merona laughed, grabbing Ace's hand. "I bet you can see the whole Capitol from there."

The limo stopped, the doors open, and everyone hopped out. Ace and Merona immediately took off in the direction of the Ferris wheel, with Prisma following close behind. Sadie, who had been too busy calling sponsors to eat a proper breakfast, left to find something to eat. Pete wandered around a bit, until he found a small cafe where some mentors were sitting. Hyacinth and Bluebell from 11 were together, discussing things. Armand, the District 6 escort, was texting.

Pete just took a seat in front of District 3's Gibson LePaul. He was busy staring off into space with a latte. "Hey, Gibby."  
"I thought I told you not to call me that, Petey."

"Ah, for old time's sake. Where is everyone?"  
"Palatino went to the roller coaster with his allies. Byte's with sponsors. Not sure where Hera went and don't ask me about Artemis because I haven't seen her in a few days. Also, there's a band playing tonight and they apparently want me to perform with them. Big fans or something."  
"Is that so? Where's your guitar?"

Gibson took a sip of his drink. "Somewhere very, very secret so you can't get your grubby hands on it."  
"I'll just get Byte to tell me."  
"You wouldn't."

They both laughed, before Gibson's smile suddenly turned serious. "There's this rumour going around you might have something to do with Ace. They think he might be your son."  
Pete twisted a strand of curly hair around his finger. "It's nothing like that."

To the public eye, Pete Vermont was a quieter Victor, full of wisecracks and one-liners who rarely ever dropped his stony facade. His eyes were always hidden by a pair of sunglasses, such as the pair he was wearing right now, so his emotions could never betray him. No Victor ever got a break, and being a Quell Victor was worse. At least Gibson could fade into obscurity eventually.

"Pete, man...I am so sorry. I didn't mean to pry..."  
"It's crazy to think I was his age when I won."  
"Does it have anything to do with his parents?"

Pete shrugged. "Remember that band I had with my brother? His dad played with us. Thay McCree wasn't the last person, I'd expect to settle down, but...the kid was nuts, wearing all this leather and taking crap about his parents any chance he got. Always thought he was gay, so it was a bit of shocker. Anyways, his first wife died, so he remarried an old school friend of mine. Lovely woman she is, they were really happy together. For five years anyways."

"I'm starting to guess none of your bandmates ever get a happy ending," Gibson sighed. "Look at you. Look at Thay. Look at Paul."  
"You may be onto something."  
"You ever gonna tell Ace?"

Pete's eyes drifted over to the Ferris wheel. "Probably. If he really wants to know."

Gibson opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off by the shrieks of random Capitolite women who began to crowd around them, screaming at Pete. "Oh my god, it's you! The Quell Victor! You must be so excited, it's another Quell! Hey, are you still single? You should try me! What are you doing with this Victor? Are you actually gay lovers? Hey, when I was a little kid watching your Games, I really thought your brother was hot-"

"Can I help you ladies?" Pete asked, hiding the exasperation he felt. "Would you like a picture, perhaps?"  
One picture soon turned into five or six. Pete kept his cool, but he just couldn't wait for all these women to leave him alone.

Gibson cackled. "Wow, I'm a Victor too and they never pay me this much attention! You must be _so_ lucky!"  
"Would you like to switch positions?"  
"Nah, I'm good."

* * *

 _Louisiana Tenor, 19_  
 _District 12 Escort_

* * *

"Aren't you tired?" Louisiana asked. "You've been on the roller coaster at least three times already! Also, it's late. Let's go get something to eat."  
Jenny shook her head. "Not hungry."  
"Me neither," Powder laughed. "Come on, Jenny, let's go."

They ran off again. Louisiana chuckled, following Henri down the boardwalk. "Isn't this fun?"  
"I suppose."  
"You seem worried. Is something bothering you?"

Henri sighed. "I don't know. It's just...Louisiana, if it hadn't been for you, I would've given up. After our last escort quit because she was sick of Bunting getting drunk all the time, I thought I wouldn't be able to handle mentoring alone, because an escort's always been there to help me. And then, just two weeks ago, they finally told me someone took up the spot..."  
Louisiana frowned. "That can't be right. I sent my application in the second the spot opened up."

"I don't know either, but I don't blame you. I was a bit nervous that you'd see how hopeless we are, but you've been nothing short of stellar ever since we first met. You've done everything you can to make Jenny and Powder comfortable; I see it in the way they look at you. You're nice to me...it's weird."  
"Why is it weird?"

"Because..." Henri paused, then continued. "I'm not...I'm not used to it, I guess? I'm used to...to pity. People pitying me to make themselves feel better. I lost both my parents when I was twelve, and I had to take care of my younger brothers as well. People would always tell me how sorry they were, but never actually help me. I used to rummage in trash cans for scraps, and everyone would be all 'Oh, that's so sad!' but they'd never give me the scraps I needed to feed us."

They were both standing at the edge of the carnival, far away from the music and lights. Henri gently took Louisiana's smooth hands into his own, calloused and brittle. "You don't pity me. You don't see me as Seam street urchin trash. I feel like...like, when I told you everything, you didn't stop being all nice and friendly. You didn't think of me differently because I had to dumpster dive for food."

"I didn't know you had it that bad," Louisiana said, gently running her fingers over Henri's knuckles. That was true. She had just been so starstruck to finally meet him, she forgot he was a real human being with flaws and weaknesses, with struggles and secrets. In return she became more than the ditzy Capitolite, brushing up her strategy and survival skills to give Jenny and Powder those useful tips they needed.

"I'm gonna cry if they die," she admitted. "They're good kids, I didn't realize...it seems so far away when you're not involved."  
Henri laughed. "Yeah, it doesn't get any better. Death is death, no matter how close it is."

"Don't worry," Louisiana whispered as their fingers interlocked. "You have me. You don't have to mentor alone anymore. I'll help you."  
"Wait...really?"

"Yes! I thought I was only doing this for one year, but I'm going to come back next year, to District 12. For you."  
"You really don't have to..."

"But I want to! I want to help, Henri! I know everyone expects me to do something else, but who cares what they think? A lot of them don't actually realize what the mentors go through. Do I really want to be a sheep for the rest of my career, or do I want to help a district that needs it?"

"What expectations were you supposed to follow through with?"

Louisiana snorted. "Well, escorting was supposed to be temporary, until some seats on the Royal Capitol Symphony opened up and my parents wanted me to take them. We're Tenors, you know? Some Tenors are so crazy they only want their kids to pursue music, and not just any kind of music. Top-class snooty stuff, the big league, like the RCS. And my parents are nutjobs. It took almost a full year to convince them to let me broaden my horizons a bit."

"Were they okay with you being put in 12?" Henri asked timidly. "I mean...yeah we're not exactly the most luxurious district and most of the time, a stepping stone..."  
"I wasn't surprised. Actually, I didn't mind. My family's probably found out by now, though. I haven't really spoken to them about it."

A slight breeze picked up as their shadows stretched along the ground; Louisiana hadn't even realized how much time has passed. "Let's go back! And have some fun! How often have you ever been at a carnival?"  
"I have to say never. This is my first one."

Louisiana locked herself around Henri's arm. "Then let's go do some rides! Let's warm up with the Ferris wheel, then we can go hit the roller coaster, and I think they have paddle boats somewhere so we can go do that next!"

Henri laughed; the sound was like music to Louisiana's ears. "That sounds like fun. Do we have to do that in that exact order?"  
"Whatever you want."  
"Then I'm okay with that. Let's go."

* * *

 _Constance Snow, 19_  
 _Granddaughter of President Snow_

* * *

The evening slowly shifted into night, but the carnival was in full swing. Tributes and Capitolites alike ran about as if they were all small children once again. With a floppy sunhat and tinted sunglasses, Constance darted through the crowd, dragging a boy along with her.

The band had started up and everyone was gathered around the stage listening to them. Constance would've loved to stay and listen, but she had other...err... _important_ matters to attend to. If she didn't speak her mind tonight, she might never get the chance ever again.

The song made her heart pound as she briefly glanced at the boy behind her, who just laughed.

 _I was made for loving you, baby_  
 _You were made for loving me_  
 _And I can't get enough of you, baby_  
 _Can you get enough of me?_

Nobody bothered following them as they continued to run, far from the lights, music, and the cameras her grandmother insisted on to watch the scene. Somewhere where they would never be found. Not that Constance was doing something highly illegal, but given the rebel threat, she was a little afraid of the consequences.

Lust outweighed the fear and soon they were both panting heavily against an apartment building, hidden by the shadows of the alleyway.

"Wow..." the boy gasped. "You sure nobody will find us?"  
"I'm sure of it."  
"You know, you're the President's granddaughter. They'll never touch you."

Constance took the boy's hand in hers. "They could touch you. What if tonight is your last night alive?"

Ember giggled nervously. "Then I better make the most of my time."

They both collapsed against the stone wall. For a moment, there was silence. Constance pressed her head against Ember's shoulder. "You were very brave last night. It takes a lot of courage to come out to so many people at once, especially on a stage like that."  
Ember fiddled nervously with the zipper of his jacket. "I don't feel brave."

"But I think you were. You're just worried."  
"That I am." Ember sighed. "If it was a normal year, maybe I wouldn't be so concerned, but there's just been so many...surprises..."

Constance laughed. "You could say that again."  
"And the pressure is on to give 1 a second Quell Victor. Leroy just won't shut up about it! Vermont this, Vermont that, District 1 needs to be the first district with multiple Quell Victors. I'm starting to wonder if volunteering was a good idea. No way I can handle this whole legacy."

Ember sunk down against the wall. "Maybe I shouldn't have done this. I could be back home, with my family. Are they pissed off that I never came out to them before I left? What if I don't come back for my brother's wedding?" He paused, before glancing over to Constance. "Sorry, I've just been rambling the whole time."

"No, no, no, it's fine! It's totally fine! I'm just happy being with you!" Constance tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "Not like anything crazy goes on in my boring life anyways. I'm just a spoiled brainless Capitolite."

Ember reached into his hair, pulling off the elastic that let his light brown locks tumble freely down his shoulders. "Oh God, can you imagine how the rest of the country would freak if they found out I had a rendezvous with the President's granddaughter?"  
"Oh please! We haven't done anything yet!"

"True..."

The wall was nice and cool. Constance just leaned back, letting the world pass her by for a brief moment. She didn't want this moment to end. She wanted to stop time and stay here forever. She knew she was just being a child, letting emotion get the best of her. They had only known each other for what, a few days? Nowhere enough time to form an actual connection, a true relationship.

In the days to follow, one of them could be dead.

"Ember..." Constance breathed slowly. "From one trans icon to another..."  
"I am nowhere near as iconic as you."  
"I don't think you realize the impact you have on Panem. But I want you to listen to me."

They locked eyes and Constance's heart fluttered. Ugh, how cliche. "You are brave, and you are amazing. And you have people who care about you. From what you've told me, your family sounds like amazing people and they will love you no matter what. And I'm going to be cheering you on too. You have people who care about you, who believe you're totally one hundred percent valid, and want you to win. I want you to win."

Then, Constance suddenly pulled Ember into a hug and her eyes stung. No, not now! Stupid tears!

"Ember, please...I don't know, but I..."

He didn't say anything right away, and that was enough to snap her back into reality. What was she doing? He had loved ones he knew from birth, and she was making him prioritize her over anyone else. Hell, she didn't even know if he felt the same way. Maybe she was wrong to drag him off like this. Stupid, dumb teenage romance...

"Constance..."  
"Yeah?"  
"I want to win too. I want to come back to you."

Constance could feel her shoulders droop as Ember quickly caught her. "I think we should go back now before anyone comes looking for us. It's getting late and I suppose you really don't want to put up with your mentors."  
Ember stood up and dusted himself off. "Yeah, you're right...and by the way, thanks for everything."

And then he was gone.

A small tear dripped down Constance's cheek as the romantic fluttering inside of her was quickly replaced with dread at what tomorrow could possibly bring.

* * *

 **Carnival time! A little fitting for a story titled Psycho Circus, perhaps?**

 **Also, lots of romance in this chapter. XD What do you think of all the love in the air? Are there any ships you're exciting to see forming/hope will form?**

 **We still have two chapters left before the Bloodbath, so I'll see you then!**

 **-Vr**


	29. The Final Night: Cryin'

**Trigger warning: some slight misgendering in the first POV.**

* * *

 _DJ Verona, 16_  
 _District 8 "Male"_

* * *

The second they got back from the carnival, DJ took off, in search of a place where nobody would dare to look them.

Unfortunately, there was no such place. So they fled to the roof. They were used to hiding in plain sight, posing as an angsty teen in a sea of people, ignored by all. That's all they were, huh? Something else to ignore. Someone else to pity.

Because, nothing in their fucking, pathetic, miserable-ass life could ever go their way.

Who would miss them when they died? Not their parents, too busy cussing them out for being the disappointment of their family, screaming about pronouns and names and how nobody ever fucking understood. Not Stan and Roger, too wrapped up in their own busy lives to notice them. Not Quinn, head over heels in love with Rachel.

"You're still not over it," DJ muttered under their breath. "You pathetic waste of space. He wants nothing to do with a freak like you! Give it up!"

They curled up on a cold bench, head in their hands. There was nothing left for DJ to do but sob over how pathetic and worthless they really were. They were going to die, another footnote in the history book. Some tribute who screamed and yelled his (because nobody cared how they actually identified anyways) way to an untimely and painful death.

 _Useless._

DJ continued to sob and barely heard the sound of doors opening. Then there was a shadow over them. "Hey."  
"Fuck off. Want to make me more miserable than I already am?"  
"Why are you miserable?"

DJ pouted. "I thought I told you to fuck off."  
"Mind if I sit here?"

DJ didn't answer; they knew Rachel was going to sit down anyways, regardless of what they told her. She gently placed their legs onto her lap. DJ fought the urge to kick her. Stupid, perfect, Rachel. Rachel Verona, who had a perfect boyfriend, a perfect social life, a perfect everything. Rachel, who never once cared about how DJ actually felt.

"DJ, I'm sorry."  
"No you're not."

Rachel shoved them so hard, they almost fell off the bench. "Yes, I'm sorry! I really am! I've been trying to apologize for a full day now, but all you've done is ignore me!"  
"Why the hell do you wanna apologize!? Because I'm useless!? Because I'm pathetic!? Because I can't actually talk to Quinn or a normal fucking person or I act like I'm too good to be a fucking boy or because everyone treats you like a goddess and me like trash!?"

DJ paused to catch their breath. They didn't want to cry, especially not in front of Rachel of all people.

"Fuck off, Rachel. I'm tired."  
They didn't have the strength to scream at her anymore. Not it was their own fault things were like this in the first place.

The truth was, DJ Verona was jealous. Jealous that Rachel worked up the courage to ask out a boy they had been secretly crushing on for months, jealous that she could keep up a healthy relationship with her friends, refusing to let bitterness corrode her. Jealous she could sing her songs and say her lines and walk off the stage to applause.

"DJ." Rachel was in tears now. "How can I make it up to you?"  
"You can't."

"DJ, please. You're my twin. And I know I've been so unfair to you. Really, I know I've said a lot of horrible things. I'm sorry. I was being so hurtful to you."  
DJ didn't respond; the only noise they heard was their sister's heavy panting as she tried to slow her crying. There was no way they could make up everything in single night. Not when all they could think about was tomorrow and how they might never get the chance to fix every single fuck-up they had made.

"DJ? P-please. I want to be your sister again. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."  
DJ sat up, then gently put an arm around their sister.  
"I'm so sorry..." Rachel whispered again.

DJ still kept silent, unsure what to say. They were normally pretty loud and explosive, but all their energy was gone. They just wanted to sit here and pretend that they weren't going to die and they weren't complete trash because all they were capable of doing was screwing their life up and blaming the mess on someone else. At first, they wanted to stay in denial.

But maybe it would be best to die with a clear conscience.

'You know, Ray... I was so jealous of you when you and Quinn started dating. I was pissed because you made it look so easy while I kept pretending to drop hints and never actually make any progress with him. I kept acting like you stole him from me but...he was never mine to begin with...I was angry, I was bitter..."

Rachel laughed nervously. "Is that why you've been avoiding him this whole time?"  
"It sounds pretty fucking stupid now, doesn't it."

"Well, I think we're both sinners in that regard. I promise, I'm not going to misgender anymore. It was wrong of me to even start in the first place. I'll respect your pronouns and whatever you want to be called. But you should probably clear things up with Quinn. God, he's been worried sick about you. He thought he did something wrong!"

"He did?" Any confidence DJ had instantly faded.  
Rachel rubbed her foggy glasses lenses with her sleeve. "It's kinda my fault, I blamed you. I guess we both owe him an apology...if we ever see him again..."  
"Are you scared about tomorrow?"

"Scared like hell," Rachel whispered into their shoulder and for once in a very long time, DJ no longer felt alone.

* * *

 _Ace McCree, 15_  
 _District 10 Male_

* * *

"Can't sleep, Ace?"

Ace nodded silently. He was wrapped up in a fuzzy grey blanket he had taken from his bedroom. Pete was lounging on the couch, watching some random program. Ace could see the faces of his fellow tributes flash by, along with numbers that probably meant something.

"Pete, I'm scared."  
"Why are you scared, Ace?"  
"I don't wanna die."

Pete sighed and pulled off his sunglasses. Ace noticed just how dark his eyes were. "Do you wanna talk about it?"  
"I don't know."

"Well, I'm your mentor and I don't know how I can help you if you don't tell me what's wrong," Pete sighed. "But I can tell you it's natural to be afraid. I was afraid too."  
"Really?" Ace squeaked. "But you're so...so...big! Henrietta and my dad said you were a beast and your Games and that you killed people!"

"Ace, I was fifteen years old when I won. I didn't know as much as I know now. I was terrified."  
Pete's voice was gentle. Ace decided he liked it. He knew he liked Pete too, because the man was kind to him and gave him so much good advice. But there was something else, something Ace couldn't quite put his finger on. As if he knew Pete from somewhere.

"Oh yeah, Henrietta said you were in the last Quarter Quell? Was it the one where siblings had to compete? Was it scary?"  
"When you saw it, did you think it was scary?"

"My dad only let me see it once because he said it was too much for him. It was a long time ago. I don't remember a lot. But it would suck if I had to go into the Games with Bodi or with Davy. I don't think I could handle seeing them die-"

Ace trailed off, suddenly wrapping the blanket around himself even tighter. Then he burst into tears. "Pete, I don't want Henrietta and Bodi and Davy to see me die!"

Pete quickly jumped up, placing a protective arm around him and gently leading him to the couch. "There there. It's okay, Ace. It's okay."  
"B-but it's not! I d-don't want to d-die!" Ace hiccuped loudly. "I'm sc-scared! What if it h-hurts?"

"Ace...Ace. listen to me, please." Pete's hands came down on Ace's shoulder. "You've got so much more potential than you give yourself credit for."  
"But...but there are people here older than me! They're...they're adults! They w-want to kill me!"  
"You have two allies older than you. And they want to protect you."

Ace stopped hiccuping as tears continued to run down his face. He had never felt more nervous than he felt tonight. He missed his stepmother. His brothers. He missed his dad.

"I will tell you this, because I know you're old enough not to need sugarcoating. Yes, there will be many people against you. Do you want to know why? Because they want to survive. They want to win and there's a good chance they will start to abandon their morals to do so. If they need to kill you to win, they will do it. But you want to survive too, right?"  
"Yes..."

"We've been over your strategy and I trust you to stick to it. But also listen to your gut. Follow your instincts. Remember, I want to help you and bring you home. Sadie will be doing the same for Merona and everybody's mentor the same for them. I will do my best to get you as many gifts as I can. Your allies seem great and I know you can count on them, but you need to remember: the Gamemakers will only allow one victor."

"One victor," Ace echoed in a wobbly voice.

"And this last bit is very important. So, I need you to listen to me?"  
"Yeah?" Ace whispered.

"Don't give up. Ever. You're going to feel like you're out of luck, but keep fighting. It's tempting to quit; don't. Don't ever quit. The moment you give up, nothing I do will ever save you and you'll be a dead man walking. Remember, you've got a family who loves you and friends who care about you. You have a district that will welcome you and a mentor who will support you. You have people who want to see you win. Don't forget about them."

"I won't." Somehow, Ace's voice found its strength.

"Also, please don't piss off the Gamemakers. It's not pretty when you do."  
Ace tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn't help laughing a little. "I would never do that."  
"Good. You actually listen."

Ace relaxed a little bit, the blanket hanging loosely off his shoulders. But there was still something weighing him down. "Pete?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I miss my dad."

Pete didn't say anything.

"I don't know if you've met him, though..." Ace picked some lint off his blanket. "But Henrietta says I look so much like him."  
"I see. You really do."  
"You've met him?"

Pete just shrugged. "Would you like to hear some stories? There were a lot of things we did together as kids."  
"Yeah! He said he played in a band with some friends and...Pete, were you in my dad's band?"

Pete got up and left. A minute later, he returned with a pair of chipped wooden drumsticks. Ace gently ran a finger across them. "Wow. I never thought you were the kind of guy who played drums. Were you guys really really good? Were you popular?"

Pete laughed. "Popular? Nowhere close. As for good, that's debatable, I suppose. But I really enjoyed it and it was a lot of fun."  
"You said you were gonna tell me stories about my dad?"  
"Which one would you like to hear?"

* * *

 **So there we have it, the last night before the Games begin!**

 **Before I forget, I'm going to address sponsoring here. Mars and I have decided that we will allow each reader to PM us and submit up to TWO sponsor gifts per chapter, until the Final 12. After that, each reader may only submit ONE sponsor gift until Final 5.**

 **What did you think of this chapter? Do you think Rachel and DJ have finally made up, or they still need more time? What kind of stories do you think Pete told Ace about his dad? Did any info here surprise you?**

 **Next chapter will be the final morning with the last two tributes before we reach the Bloodbath! Stay tuned for that!**

 **-Vr**


	30. Locked and Loaded

**Last chapter left until the Bloodbath!**

* * *

 _Aurora Xu, 18_  
 _District 2 Female_

* * *

She had been asleep for about eight hours, though it felt like only a few minutes. For a brief minute after she woke up, she had forgotten about the date. Then it all came flooding back to her. She felt slightly nervous, but then shook it off almost immediately. An alarm beside her bed went off, and she nearly jumped at the noise.

Now was not the time time for last-minute jitters.

Aurora selected her breakfast carefully. Fruit and scrambled eggs, with a slide of whole wheat toast and two sausages, as well as a large glass of milk to wash it all down. Julius had just filled up his plate with pastries. She wanted to scoff, because chances were it was all gonna come out in the arena anyways, once her district partner saw how gruesome the Games could truly be. What kind of little kid could ever truly stomach the sight of his older allies tearing all the other tributes down like paper dolls?

But that would never bother Aurora.

She was born ready.

She hoped her family was paying extra special attention to her and how she was really worth so much. How she was the bloodthirsty, brutal Career they trained her to be. The Capitol was going to regret skipping her over in favour of Ember's supposedly moving confession, Void's pathetically sad backstory, Julius's age, Rosy's friendship with her mentor, and Amperia's status as an lowly outlier among Careers.

She finished her food and waited for the Avox to clear her plate. Then, she took a shower; Aurora figured it might be the last one she'd get in a while and it wouldn't hurt to enter the arena all fresh and clean. Nike was waiting outside her bedroom, perhaps hoping to talk strategy one last time.

"I've got it all memorized," Aurora promised. "I won't let you down."  
Nike folded her arms. "You wouldn't be here if we expected to be let down. Stick to our plan and the Career code. District 2 needs another Victor."

Aurora gave her a little salute. "You can count on me. I'll bring another Victor home."

For a brief moment, Nike gave her the tiniest of grins, which faded as quickly as it had appeared. "I knew we could count on you."

Julius was unusually quiet. He grabbed Slate and pulled him into his bedroom, probably for a last-minute pep talk. Aurora supposed she felt a little bad for him. Hopefully, he'd be dead before she had the chance to kill him herself; some sort of honour code would prevent her form doing so unless the situation was dire.

"Isn't this exciting?" Sariah asked, sipping a cocktail on the couch. "I always love the spectacle of a Quell. And especially if I'm the one bringing home a Quell Victor myself!"  
Nike gave a loud cough and Sariah began to blush. "Oh yes. You do have your mentor to thank as well."

Aurora nodded, not really in the mood to talk. A shadow of doubt crept into her mind.

 _What if all your training isn't enough?_

She didn't have time to think these sorts of thoughts. Not with the Games just hours away.

Finally, the Peacekeepers had arrived to collect them. Julius was all smiles again, though he was clearly faking it. He kept chatting everyone's ears off, probably to mask his own fears. Aurora just ignored him, as she had been for the past few days.

"Are you ready?" Julius asked her. "Because I'm ready. I'm so, so, so ready! Come on, Aurora. We're gonna do so great!"

One of the Peacekeepers escorting them let out a loud sigh. "Silence, please."  
Julius mumbled an apology. Aurora rolled her eyes.

But they were finally outside now, a large hovercraft looming over them. Aurora had never actually been inside one of them before. And she had never realized just how big they were. As she was helped inside by the Peacekeepers, she felt trapped in the belly of a mechanical beast that had come down from the sky and swallowed her whole.

There were twenty-four available seats, twelve on each side. It seemed that the seating had already been established because both Aurora and Julius were both pretty close to the end and across from each other as well. However, as the other tributes filled up the remaining seats, this appeared to be totally random.

Eventually, everyone had somewhere to be. Aurora had little Jonathan on her right, and Hera on her left. Across from her was Grey, who had Julius on one side and Powder on the other. They were all strapped in with what were pretty uncomfortable headrests to Aurora, but it was clear nobody was going anywhere.

Then the hovercraft jerked violently.

Everyone glanced around in alarm and Aurora realized she actually digging her nails into her headrest. The Peacekeepers remained stoic. Probably nothing.

Surprisingly, the hovercraft ride was very smooth and Aurora didn't feel any different. She couldn't see out the windows, still they could still be on the ground, for all she knew. But that wasn't true. They were still up in the air. And they were approaching the arena.

Again, she could do this. She could prove herself to Mom, and Dad, and Celeste, and Nike, and Sariah, and hell, even Julius, Void, Ember, Rosy, and Amperia. Fuck it, she knew that Apollo Karaigme, President Snow, Tallulah Jeweltonne and the entirety of Panem would be watching.

Aurora exhaled softly as her tracker was pressed into her arm with a needle.

If District 2 needed another Victor, then so be it.

They didn't need to ask her twice.

* * *

 _Powder Riddell, 14_  
 _District 12 Male_

* * *

"This is so exciting!" Powder whispered to Jenny, who softly giggled in response. And it was. He had never been on a hovercraft before.

Powder was still dreading what was to come. Trapped in this little room with tributes that were nearly twice his age, all ready to practically tear his head off...that was beyond terrifying. When the Peacekeepers came to collect him, he thought of running away screaming. Taking Jenny with him and hopping on the next train back home to 12.

But he was out of time to change his fate.

Powder had done all the training he possibly could. He performed his darn best in front of the Gamemakers, hoping to walk away with the highest possible score he could hope to achieve. He mad allies, quite a few of them too, and he tried to appeal to everyone during his interview. He became a little kid one more time riding the roller coaster with Jenny, before running back in line.

Then, the Games had only been in the back of his mind. He was too focused in the now; he needed to train, to score, to ally, to please. To do everything to maximize his chance of survival. he and Jenny squeezed as much info as possible out of Henri, Louisiana, and Bunting, when he wasn't passed out in his bedroom.

Now, there was nothing left to do but wait.

Wait for this hovercraft to dump him off in the arena that could potentially become his grave.

Powder could no longer avoid the inevitable at this point. He could die. Or maybe, he'd watch Jenny die, and all of his allies fall alongside her. He had seen the Careers in training; he was older than Julius but the boy from 2 was still pretty scary and ruthless. Some outliers, like Grey, Arwan, and Synth also worried him because they were clearly capable of coming after him too. Other tributes were wild cards, like Aldair, Autumn and Deloris, because maybe Powder could take them on, or maybe they'd be the death of him.

And then there were the children, the young ones, such as Ace and Merona. Too sweet to harm a soul. Would they be manufactured into stone-cold killers like the adults? Would the arena break them and rob them of all their innocence? Would it break _him_?

"All you alright?" Jenny asked in a low voice and Powder nodded, forcing a smile. He didn't want to worry her too much. Then again, it was the Hunger Games. Everyone was battling the same shit, the same fear of not escaping alive.

At the very least, they were all in this together.

The hovercraft lurched suddenly as it came down against the pavement and Jenny was thrown up against Powder. They both laughed to themselves. Powder began to feel uneasy as the humour faded. He felt tight, confined, and claustrophobic. He wanted out of the hovercraft and he wanted it soon.

Thankfully, the Peacekeepers started pulling them off. One beckoned for Powder to follow him out of the hovercraft, into a dark hallway, then through a tunnel. His footsteps echoed softly as he quickened his pace to keep up with the Peacekeeper.

The tunnel led to a little room where his stylist was waiting with a new outfit. A large clear tube stood open at the other end. There was also a little bit of food and water available. Powder nibbled on a sugar cookie while his stylist shoved off the outfit.

It was pretty simple a grey T-shirt with a darker jacket that had his district number printed on both sleeves. There were black boots with laces and a pair of cargo pants. Powder dressed himself up and everything fit rather nice. He awkwardly shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

The rest of the food looked pretty appetizing, but Powder didn't think he could stomach anything else right now. He thought of Jenny, and wondered if she was wearing the same clothes as him. His thoughts drifted to the rest of his allies. Rachel, Elana, Palatino, Johnathan, and DJ. Oh yeah, DJ Verona was officially part of the crew now. Powder supposed it was nice that they and Rachel finally made up.

The pants were a little stiff and annoying, so Powder hobbled around a bit to try and get used to them. As he completed another lap around the table, a sudden announcement could be heard.

"TRIBUTES! PLEASE PROCEED INTO YOUR TUBES!"

The uneasy feeling returned to his stomach as Powder stepped inside the tube.

The glass door quickly shut behind him, sealing him inside. Powder jumped, smacking the pal of his hand against the wall. He felt like he was going to throw up as he looked up at the bright light above him. No matter how much training he went through or how many sponsors he secured, he didn't feel the least bit ready.

There was a faint humming noise and he felt the ground below him shift.

And then he began to rise.

Powder just watched as everything below he disappeared and the light above him grew brighter, blinding him almost completely. He heard the humming noise get louder, as if it had multiplied suddenly. It had to be the noise of everyone else rising at the same time as him.

Eventually, the ground below him clicked into place and the humming stopped.

And Powder finally got his first good look at the arena around him. The knot in his stomach just continued to grow. He and the other tributes were standing in a circle around the sleek, silver Cornucopia, supplies scattered about.

"Oh shit," Powder muttered to himself.

The Hunger Games were about to begin.

* * *

 **And now, we're finally the the Bloodbath! And no, you're not getting any arena information here because that would be a spoiler, wouldn't it?**

 **However, I will say that the Bloodbath for Psycho Circus will be uploaded on FEBRUARY 15TH to give readers a few weeks to catch up and because I'm going to be bit busy with school and working on TMH as well. So set your calendars!**

 **Last chance for any predictions! Who do you think will go down on the first day and who do you think will survive? I'm actually pretty curious as to what everyone thinks, because we have a pretty mixed bag of tributes here.**

 **See you all next chapter!  
**

 **-Vr**


	31. The Psycho Circus

**Here we are, the Bloodbath! The Games have just started and buckle up, because it's going to be wild indeed!**

* * *

 _Apollo Karaigme, 25_  
 _Head Gamemaker_

* * *

Apollo watched as the tributes slowly rose up into the arena. The cameras panned upwards too, dramatically slow. He wanted the reveal to be big. He had spent so much time on this, after all.

And it was. The tributes gasped to themselves as they finally took in the sights around them. From the glimmering Cornucopia, to the bounty inside. To the colourful striped tents that lined the dusty path, to the banners flying overhead. Cheerful circus music played faintly in the background from speakers attached to large steel poles lining the streets, an eerily cheerful noise, considering the fate of the tributes.

The big showstopper was the giant red and yellow tent southwards of the Cornucopia. Its bottom was obstructed by some white trailers and the distance, but it stuck out like a sore thumb. All the way on the other end of the arena, to the north, was a large grey stage. It had all the fixings: lights, curtains, seats, and even rooms backstage. There were sturdy wooden bleachers in the front, waiting for the invisible audience to watch a show that would never be performed. No doubt both areas were tempting hideouts or bases for whoever could escape the Cornucopia alive.

Admittedly, a very odd arena for such a special event. But Apollo knew that just like the clowns of a real circus, he didn't lack any sort of surprises. Looks could be deceiving after all...

At the very north, right below the Cornucopia's horn, was Void. Julius was to his left, then Grey, Arwan, Autumn, Aurora, DJ, Jonathan, Hera, Ezra, and Amperia, all going clockwise. Synth was at the very south, next to a relieved Ace, Merona, Ember, Powder, Rosy, Palatino, Elana, Deloris, Rosy, Aldair, and Jenny on Void's right.

Everything seemed to be in place.

"Start the countdown," Apollo commanded.

Anthony did as he was told. Above the Cornucopia, a timer appeared, counting down from 60. The demeanor in the tributes changed. Some widened their eyes in fear. Others crouched low, ready to spring off their platforms. Some where faced in the direction of the more tempting supplies, while others clearly planned to run for their allies. Teeth clenched, tears fell, hearts quickened.

Apollo just folded his arms, trying to hide his own nerves. This was the moment he had been waiting for. Very few Gamemakers made it to the point where they were entrusted with the act of arranging a Quarter Quell of all things. So much effort had been placed into building this arena, its mutts, and its features that made it really stand out.

Apollo felt a surge of pride, smiling as the cameras circled the circus of an arena before returning to the tributes. This was his. His creation, his brainchild. Of course, he couldn't have done it without his spectacular team, but he organized the whole damn thing. He helped to make it happen.

He wondered how much of Panem was watching. He wondered if his mother and sister were watching. He wondered if the President was watching.

He hoped they were all proud.

The countdown continued to drop with each passing second.

10...

9...

8...

7...

6...

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

And the 150th Hunger Games began.

Almost instantly, everyone was running for the horn, either to meet allies or grab supplies. Palatino tripped off his pedestal, causing Elana to shift her course and run for him instead. Ace and Merona were side by side. Autumn was shoved to the ground by Arwan.

Void burst off his pedestal and grabbed a small knife lying in the ground, only a few feet away. He whirled around and punched the nearest tribute in the face, which happened to be Jenny. She tumbled over and Void descended on her, stabbing her in the chest repeatedly. Blood flew everywhere. On the opposite side of the horn, Powder saw his dying ally and ran for her.

Ember had picked up a sword and jumped in front of Powder, cutting off the younger boy's path. With a quick slice, Powder crumpled to the ground, his throat cut open with blood squirting out everywhere. Ember ran straight into the Cornucopia, followed by Rosy and Amperia.

Synth had gone straight for the spears, followed by Alec. There were two racks of spears, both by the mouth of the horn. Synth and Deloris reached one of them at the same time. Deloris swung the water bottle she found at Synth's head as he tried to pull some spears off the rack. Alec crept up behind them both, grabbed the rack, and dumped it down on Deloris. Synth pulled two spears free and he followed Alec off.

DJ was holding an axe, following Rachel around as she shoved provisions into an empty backpack. Suddenly, Aldair grabbed the straps of the backpack and began to pull. With the handle of the axe, DJ struck his face, causing Aldair to let go. Elana, who had been tailing a dazed Palatino, ran over to help.

There was a sick crack as Aldair landed on his arm. Even Apollo winced.

Julius, meanwhile, was holding several throwing knives. He targeted Grey, who was busy freeing an axe from underneath a crate of dried food. The second she pulled it out, a knife went flying straight into her chest. Julius cackled to himself as she slumped over the crate, choking on her own blood.

Hera shoved her ally's body off the axe. The second she had it, she charged at Julius, swinging the axe into his head. Julius threw up his hands to block the impact as Hera continued to hack away at him, leaving him a bloody, crumpled corpse on the ground. The second Hera stood up, something sharp embedded her arm.

Aurora had found the only supply of throwing stars. Her second one missed as Hera began to run away, with nothing but an axe. Aurora turned her sights onto an easier target. Autumn had been tussling with Merona to grab a yellow backpack. She had thrown the younger girl to the ground, but quickly retreated as Alec and Ace pulled her to her feet. Now, she was right in Aurora's line of sight.

Autumn didn't even have time to react. The throwing star landed right in her forehead and she went down immediately.

Deloris was still trapped. Synth and Alec pressed against each other, preparing for an oncoming fight, but Ember ignored them as he searched the inside of the Cornucopia for a second sword. Amperia, who Apollo could tell was pretending to be sorting supplies as she grabbed every knife she could find, had no intention of leaving the horn.

There were enough Careers on the loose anyways.

Void, caked with Jenny's blood, threw himself at Arwan. The two men began to wrestle, Arwan punching as hard as he could and Void brandishing his knife. For a moment, Apollo thought Arwan might be winning, until Void sent a knee between his legs, then grabbed the back of Arwan's head and scratched up his face. Arwan suddenly went limp and rolled off of Void, who shoved him to the side.

Rosy came running back out of the Cornucopia, surveying the damage. Ezra was busy throwing multiple bags onto his shoulders, unaware of the Career behind him. Aldair, broken arm and all, crawled to his feet and tried to jump at Rosy. She easily pushed him aside and stabbed a knife into his stomach. He began to shake, spewing blood into her face.

As his ally collapsed, Ezra screamed, then ran. He shoved past Deloris, who had finally managed to crawl out underneath the spear rack.

The camera slowly panned around as the Careers ran about, jumping at the remaining outliers with weapons. The alliance of Alec, Synth, Ace, and Merona had taken off towards the giant tent. Hera had gone in the direction of one of the trailers. Ezra had disappeared into the first tent he found.

Apollo surveyed the fleeing tributes, before the cameras suddenly jumped back to Deloris, lying facefirst in the dirt with two throwing stars embedded into her skull. Aurora stood over her; once she was sure the younger girl was finally dead, she stalked back inside the mouth of the Cornucopia.

The tributes were dropping like flies.

"Get ready to start firing the cannons soon. How many bodies?" Apollo asked loudly.  
"Eight," Paige reported back. "Actually...hold that thought!"

A bruised and beaten Arwan, still lying on the ground, twitched violently. He slowly crawled towards a pedestal and grabbed it, risking a glance behind him. Nobody even noticed he was there, or that he was alive. Arwan shakily hauled himself to his feet and limped off.

The Careers were too busy chasing one final alliance. DJ was flinging knives at Ember, who was able to easily dodge the horrible throws. Rachel slipped two backpacks onto her shoulders, her misty eyes briefly lingering on the bodies of the dead District 12 tributes. Jonathan had a small hatchet and a bag of his own, but was also pulling a teary Palatino along. Elana followed behind, carrying a shield.

Until one of Aurora's throwing stars embedded itself into the back of her leg.

Elana nearly collapsed, throwing her shield sideways and slamming it into Aurora's stomach. Rachel screamed as Void pushed his ally aside, grabbing a large handful of Elana's hair.

"Go!" Elana screamed. "Run, all of you! Get out of here!"

 _They're not gonna make it,_ Apollo thought to himself. Surprisingly, Rachel and DJ took off running towards the stage. Palatino and Jonathan were able to keep up with them. Amperia was still gathering supplies in the Cornucopia while Ember and Rosy retreated back inside, neither too bothered about the four escaping tributes.

Elana gasped loudly, then went still as Void drove his knife into her chest one last time.

Rachel's purple glasses were cracked in one lens, having slipped off her face. They were crushed under Void's foot as he stalked off. Elana's blood dripped from his knife, down his wrist. It was a very exhilarating sight. The exhausted Careers, standing in a ring of blood and corpses. Rosy's knife was now gone, buried back into Aldair's chest to confirm he was fully dead. Ember and Amperia were armed to the teeth while Aurora used a small towel to clean blood from the stars she had retrieved.

"Can we fire the cannons now?" Cherry asked meekly.

Apollo just nodded, glancing over at the screens beside him. "Vitals are down; we've lost them. Fire the cannons."

Eight cannons rang out for the eight truly fallen tributes. The first two for the bright-eyed and busy-tailed pair from District 12. Next was the hot-tempered lumberjack, and followed by her killer, the tiny little Career from 2. There was the girl with the scythes. The stubborn party girl who listened to nobody. The quiet team mom who sacrificed herself for her alliance. The quiet man who enjoyed electronics and engineering.

The remaining Careers huddled together, each of them choosing a weapon to use. They probably realized it would be in their best interests to go hunting, as Apollo needed them far away enough from the Cornucopia so he could pick up the bodies.

"Well..."

Apollo clapped his hands together. " That ends that. What do we think?"  
"Brilliant sir!" Anthony slapped his desk. "Really! A great start to a Quell!"  
"A lot to see and watch," Paige mused, sipping a mimosa. "I'm willing to bet the general public will be pleased."

The other Gamemakers nodded, while Cherry just gave him a silent thumbs up. Apollo noticed she was gritting her teeth and some of her bright blue hair had slipped over her left eye.

But for the most part, they were all satisfied. That was good news to hear. Apollo focused back onto the cameras panning out over the arena. Now that the initial excitement was dying down, there was still a lot of work left for them to do.

* * *

 _Current Alliances:_

 _Careers:_ Void, Ember, Aurora, Rosy, Amperia

 _District 10 plus Synth and Alec:_ Alec, Ace, Merona, Synth

 _The big alliance that has now been cut in half:_ Palatino, DJ, Rachel, Jonathan

 _Angry Lonely Lesbian:_ Hera

 _Needs A Hug:_ Ezra

 _He could probably use some first aid:_ Arwan

* * *

Kills:

Void: 2 (Elana, Jenny)

Ember: 1 (Powder)

Julius: 1 (Grey)

Aurora: 2 (Deloris, Autumn)

Hera: 1 (Julius)

Rosy: 1 (Aldair)

* * *

 **24th place: Jennifer Gaewick, District 12. Stabbed repeatedly by Void.**

You were so young, and from the start at a disadvantage. You barely even got a chance to put up a fight. Your family, friends and dogs will miss you greatly. I myself want to thank you for being one of my first tributes. -Mars

 **23rd place: Powder Ridell, District 12. Throat slit open by Ember.**

 **I loved the dynamic that powder had with Jenny, there were cute best friends. But considering the fact that he started out in the arena right next to a trained Career, the odds weren't really in his favour. I wasn't entirely sure what to do with him really, and I did need bodies for the Bloodbath, so his journey ends here. Thank for Powder, 2017tnt, and you have Amperia to keep cheering on!**

 **22nd place: Grey Hemlock, District 7. Knife thrown into the chest by Julius.**

You were a feisty one, always up for a fight. Whether it be Peacekeepers or fellow tributes, you never backed down from a fight. Your brothers, sister, niece and parents will miss your fiery temper. You put up a good fight, and went down swinging. -Mars  
Thanks Author-Hime for Grey!

 **21st place: Julius Foster, District 2. Axed repeatedly by Hera.**

You were the smallest career, and the youngest. You really just wanted to make your family proud, and prove you could win, and you obviously didn't win because I'm writing this right now. Your brothers, parents and friends will miss you. You really didn't deserve to die like this kiddo. -Mars  
Thanks Author-Hime for Julius!

 **20th place: Autumn Farro, District 9. Throwing star to the head by Aurora.**

 **The pragmatic and practical half of her duo, I loved Autumn because she could be caring and motherly, but also take care of herself and hold her ground really well. Again, not entirely sure where I wanted her to go and unfortunately, she ends up here. But it's always great to have a younger tribute like her, and in a fight with different circumstances, she could've easily dominated it all. Thanks for her, !**

 **19th place: Deloris Malin, District 6. Throwing stars to the head by Aurora.**

 **The zany and unpredictable half of her duo, Deloris was a wild child right from the start. She danced to the beat of her own drum and she was involved in a ton of rather mature activities. I knew her stubborn impulsiveness would be her downfall, as well as the fact that she wasn't very strong physically and unable to stand up to Aurora. EllaRoseEverdeen, thanks so much for this spunky gal!**

 **18th place: Elana Briar, District 11. Stabbed repeatedly by Void.**

You were so brave, and an amazing mother. It wasn't your fault Carver died. Your grandmother and friends will miss you, but you're with your son now, and I hope you're happy. You were an amazing person and ally. -Mars  
Thanks Necklace of Rope for Elana!

 **17th place: Aldair Inderia, District 5. Stabbed in the chest by Rosy and bled out.**

 **Although Rosy caught him pretty early, Aldair places here for the simple selfish fact I wanted to give his submitter the last placement he needs. In comparison to everyone else, he and Ezra were very lowkey. And going into the Games, Aldair had some pretty shitty luck, being right next to Rosy at the start and breaking his arm after some skirmishes with other tributes. Thanks for Aldair, 20, and I hope you'll continue to cheer Void on! (or not XD)**

* * *

 **So there was the Bloodbath! Did any of the deaths surprise you? Was there anyone you were expecting to go down and was shocked when they didn't? Are you excited to see the rest of the arena and what it has in store?**

 **And now, with the Bloodbath finally concluded, sponsoring is officially open! Remember, everyone (submitters and readers) can now send two sponsors gifts per chapter! PM it either to Mars or me (or DM us on Discord) to send it in.**

 **I hope you enjoyed the crazy chaotic Bloodbath, as well as everyone's first look at the arena! Stay tuned for what's next to come!**

 **-Vr**


	32. Day 1: Here We Go Again

**It's the first full day of the Games! A lot of sponsors have come in over the Bloodbath and now we get to see the tributes in action!**

* * *

 _Void Zachariah, 25_  
 _District 1 Male_

* * *

The Career pack retreated into the nearest trailer in order to strategize and let the Gamemakers clear the bodies away. Void would not miss them. He hoped everyone saw what he did, and what he was capable of. Leroy wanted him to prove his worth? Void would exactly do that.

Aurora wore a vest containing holdsters for all her throwing stars, a dagger dangling in her hand as she surveyed the trailer, bored as hell. Ember carried two cleaned swords and a small backpack. He was whispering to Rosy, who had brought an entire set of throwing knives with her. Amperia had been armed with just a spear. She could've taken more gear with her; it wasn't like the Careers were going to micromanage her every move.

She seemed scared.

Void didn't blame her. She was obviously at the bottom of the Career totem pole, the first to be picked off when they inevitably turned on each other. He hoped secretly that Rosy and Ember would be next, having marked themselves as a pair and obviously, Void couldn't trust them. Maybe he could trust Aurora? But then again, she was very guarded. No, it was better to take Aurora out first, then leave Rosy and Ember behind as his dogs, dangling one in front of the other to keep them in line. Especially Ember.

Rosy wiped Aldair's dried blood off her face with a towel. "Can we go back now?"  
Void nodded. "Yeah, They should've cleared all the bodies. And we need to go hunting."

Ember shook his head. "We can go hunting tomorrow. I think we should spend the day figuring out a plan. You know, to make the most of our daylight hours."  
Aurora and Rosy both seemed to agree, but Void just scoffed. "Um, no. No we don't."  
"Hold on-"

"I'm the leader, and what I say goes."  
"What!?" Ember exploded. "That's not how this works! And what gives you the right!? The fact that you're an old man who kills kids and hangs out with a bunch of teens and girls!?"  
"Well, when you put it that way, you make me look like the bad guy here."  
"You son of a-"

Ember started to argue again, but was cut off by a loud beeping. Two silver parachutes both floated down beside the entrance to the trailer. They were both labeled with Void's name on it. He happily scooped them up while Rosy just put an arm on Ember's shoulder, gently pulling him back. "Em, drop it."

"I'd listen to her if I were you."  
"Shut up, Void!"  
"Can we go back to the Cornucopia?" Amperia asked meekly. "You know...to arrange supplies and all?"

Void gave it some thought. "Well, fine. But quickly! I want to get hunting."  
Ember quietly cursed under his breath. Rosy shushed him.

The bodies were long gone by now, leaving behind faint red bloodstains where they once lay. The circus music was still joyfully playing, despite the carnage that had taken place only a few moments earlier. Void retreated into the very back on the Cornucopia to open his gifts. Inside was a bunch of metal, wires, and material. The kind he could use to build a taser similar to the one he made in training. Or maybe a bomb.

 _Void,_

 _Here's your stupid stuff. You better put this to good use. So don't fuck this up._

 _-Leroy._

Void smirked, wrapping up the supplies in the parachutes, carefully tucking them behind some crates. Oh yes, this would certainly come in handy later. If the Career pack ever turned on him, he was going out with a bang, and he was taking them all down too.

The supplies were a little more cleaned up now, and organized to some level. It was pretty clear that no effort had been put into it at all, probably just to spite him. Ember was still pretty upset, quietly shoving things into crates with Rosy. Aurora casually strolled around, swinging her arms, only Amperia could even be bothered to make things look nice.

"Well, looks better than it did before. At least we have room now. Let's go hunting!"

This was his chance to prove that he deserved whatever reputation he had already earned himself.

Void discarded his old knives for some clean new ones that didn't have any dried blood already staining them. The other Careers kept their weapons. "Where should we look first?"  
"I think we should start with the tents," Rosy suggested. "If anyone was in a trailer, they would've heard us."  
"Well, there's a lot of trailers. But if you insist..."

Void led the charge toward the tents, keeping as low and quiet as he could in a dramatic and suspenseful fashion. Ember rolled his eyes, picked up his speed, and marched right past him. He threw open the flap to the first tent. Inside, there was a scream.

Ezra tried to push past them, but he had nowhere to run. Besides, he was dead in seconds as Ember's sword was shoved into his chest. The weapon was yanked out and he crumpled to the ground, blood gushing from his lips. The cannon boomed.

And just like that, another tribute was gone.

Rosy picked through the tent. "He's got nothing. Just a teddy bear. Should we take it?"  
Void just laughed. "Look, if you want it, I can't stop you." Rosy just shrugged and stuffed the bear into her backpack.

"So...where next? Do you think there are any other tributes around here?"  
Aurora shook her head. "If they're smart, no."

Even so, Void thought, the outliers were making this way too easy for him.

* * *

 _Hera Myrana, 24_  
 _District 3 Female_

* * *

Hera carefully peeked her head out of the trailers. The voices she heard slowly faded away. The Careers were gone. Oh thank Panem; they were so close to finding her. She didn't get her hands bloody in the Cornucopia just to be their first victim.

She had an axe, sure, but against 5 other people, Hera was pretty much doomed. Did they know what she had done to their ally? Were they mad? Hera had been beyond pissed that teeny little Julius of all people could such a dirty move like that. He had paid the price for it now.

She was going to miss Grey. That chick was wicked, heated, and they really saw eye-to-eye on a lot of things. Hera could always appreciate someone as angry as her. They planned to pull the strings form the curtains and dominate together. Of course, they'd turn on each other eventually, but that would wait until much later. Then that stupid little kid threw a wrench into their plans.

Truth be told, right now, Hera didn't regret anything she had already done. Tributes killed each other all the time. Right, she was completely over it now. She'd gladly fucking do it again if it meant getting out of this creepy circus sooner.

Ugh, her arm hurt so bad.

Hera slid down the wall of the trailer until she was finally sitting down, legs sprawled out. Fuck. What was she supposed to do now!? She had nothing! Hera had never used axes before; the bloody thing was almost useless to her. Granted, it was a weapon...

"Think, think, think," she chanted to herself. "Stop fucking around and thinking like a fucking psycho. Okay, what would Freya do..."  
Freya! Oh crap, she must've been worried sick!

Hera began to pace back and forth to calm herself down. She couldn't think straight when riled up like this. And impulsive behaviour was only gonna get her killed. Right. Stay calm. Be careful. And think! What did Byte tell her to do? What strategy was she supposed to follow?

A faint beeping noise caught her attention. Outside the trailer, a small parachute sat, carrying a canteen of water with it. Water. Hera eagerly scooped it up. It felt nice and cool in her hands. She first read the note hanging off the canteen.

 _From one badass lesbian to another. You go girl!_

 _-A Capitol fangirl_

Hera chuckled to herself. As much as she couldn't care less about what the Capitol thought of her, it was nice to have some support. Hey, that meant more money going towards her!

And sooner or later, she was going to need water.

Too bad she didn't have anything to carry it in. Luckily, the canteen came with a strap Hera could fit her wrist through, the canteen hanging like a clunky bracelet. She still had her hands free for her trusty axe, despite the way the canteen swung around and knocked into her hip. She wiped her sweaty palms on her ugly yellow jacket, then stepped outside.

She saw nobody.

A cannon fired overhead. The Careers must've claimed another unlucky victim. Hera wasn't really sure who it was. Oh well, sucked for them. That was one less tribute standing between her and victory. Anything to bring up her odds.

She glanced around. Left. Right. Then left again. Then right. Left, just to be really sure this time. Yep, she was alone. For now.

Hera quickly hurried from trailer to trailer, ducking into them at any little noise. She wasn't exactly sure what she was doing, but as long as the Careers were further away, it worked for her. She wasn't even paying attention to what direction she was traveling in either. Until she ran out of trailers and found a beaten dirt path instead. The scenery was empty. She could no longer hear that sickening psycho circus music playing in the background.

Where was she?

"What the fuck!?" Hera said to nobody in particular. "What is this!?"

She could hear a very faint humming noise. Past Games had taught her that the forcefield trapping them all in the arena wasn't far away, but running into it probably wasn't the best idea. Maybe she should follow the path instead; at the very least, nobody was likely to follow her.

So Hera continued, axe and canteen swinging lazily in her hands. Her arm still ached.

"Alright, Mr. Head Gamemaker," she muttered through clenched teeth, too low for anyone to really pick up her words. Especially not Apollo Karaigme. "I see what's going on. So I'll follow your little path, because I got nothing better to do. Let's see where it leads me now, huh?"

Then she walked off.

* * *

 _Arwan Falconer, 24_  
 _District 7 Male_

* * *

He was alive.

Somehow, he managed to escape. Sure, he was covered in his own blood and bruised to the core, but he was alive. That was all that mattered. Poor Maeve; he must've given her such a fright. Well, as long as he didn't scare her into early labour.

Now came the next of Arwan's problems: he had nothing. Damn. He could've gotten some good loot too, had Void not ruined anything. Food. Water. Weapons. Also, a first aid kit would be really nice. He stomach hurt so bad; Arwan wasn't sure if it was from hunger, injuries, or maybe something else.

That giant circus tent was not that far away and hopefully, the Careers would not be able to spot him, at least for a little while.

His feet stung, but Arwan didn't really want to crawl. Instead, all he could do was limp. The tent was probably not the best choice for a hideout; he was willing to bet that there was already somebody in there. And there was a high chance that somebody was not looking for a roommate.

Luckily, there were a few smaller tents he could hang out in for the time being. Arwan made his way into the nearest one, then finally dropped down, lying across the dirty ground. Pain shot through his chest, sending him straight up, seething quietly to himself.

 _Beep._

The noise _briefly_ drowned out the circus music and Arwan perked up. He heard another beep, then he saw two silvery wisps floating in the sky. They landed just outside the tent. The wisps had turned out to be parachutes, each carrying a parcel with them. One parcel came with a rolled-up sheet of paper, the other with a tag.

There was no mistaking it. They had to be for him.

Sure enough, the tag had a 7 on it. Arwan tore open the packages to reveal a loaf of bread, and a first aid kit. He eagerly opened the first aid kit and rummaged around in it. Two rolls of a bandages, a safety pin, some iodine drops, a roll of tape, and gauze. It wasn't a lot, but at the very least, it would stop his bleeding.

Arwan's nails dug into his arm, trying to peel as much dried blood off his clothes. He then dug it out from under his nails, before wrapping about half a roll of bandages around his stomach and pinning it together. Too bad he couldn't do anything about the bruises but let them heal on their own. And he guessed he didn't have any cracked bones. Again, nothing he'd be able to do about those.

Bread. As simple as it was, it suddenly sounded so mouth-watering and delicious. But Arwan decided to force himself to wait. He was fine, he wasn't that hungry after all. He decided to read the note that came with the bread; maybe something good would come out of it.

 _Don't give up!_

 _-Birch_

Arwan frowned. He flipped the note around; was there some sort of hidden code? That was it? Just four words? Okay, fine. He'd give Birch the benefit of the doubt since she was pretty kooky at times and he supposed this was her way of trying to help. But what was the point of bothering to go through the trouble of sending him a note if she was just going to write a simple sentence, then sign her name?

Arwan just stuck the paper in his pocket, then closed up the first aid kit. He supposed he could stay here for now. Maybe there would be more sponsor gifts soon; who knew? Plus, he really needed a chance to recover, so it didn't hurt his feet as much to walk. He absentmindedly pressed at a small bruise above his knee, then instinctively drew his hand back when it hurt.

"Hey Maeve," Arwan whispered, too exhausted to talk any louder. "I hope you're doing well and you're being looked after. I miss you. I'm sorry about what happened this morning. But I'm alright. I'll live. I can get through this."

He wanted to ask her about sending some sponsor money, but decided against it. She didn't need the extra stress or an empty wallet. Neither did his family. At the very least, he knew he had some support in the Capitol and people there who were willing to cash out on him. He just had to keep appealing to them.

That meant he had to take out some of the competition.

Arwan knew this wasn't going to be an easy task, despite all the mental preparations he had made in the Capitol. It was even harder without a weapon. Plus, he did have a bit of a soft spot for kids; he wasn't really sure he could bring himself to hurt one. Maybe the adults instead. He recalled past Games, and the way spilled blood turned some Victors from nervous teens into absolute monsters.

But not Arwan Falconer. He'd never let himself become one.

Besides, good people, the ones who never killed, never were corrupted...they died. Slaughtered by the villains. Well, it wasn't like Arwan was going to go out of his way to hunt for tributes to kill. He knew Maeve would never want that of him. But if an opportunity presented himself, he had no plans to let it slip on by.

The ones who killed did not die. The ones who killed survived.

He just wanted to survive.

* * *

 **16th place: Ezra Kiskov, District 6. Stabbed in the chest by Ember.**

 **Ezra was fun, because I loved to write his dynamic with Aldair. They both shared a lot of similar interests, but Ezra was still a little bit of a kid. He was very passionate and talkative about his hobbies and work, which I liked. I knew his ally's death was going to have a huge emotional toll on him, paired with his lack of supplies, and unfortunately, his journey ends here. Thanks for him, notthebrave!**

* * *

 _Current Alliances:_

 _Careers:_ Void, Ember, Aurora, Rosy, Amperia

 _D10 Plus Synth and Alec:_ Alec, Ace, Merona, Synth

 _Tied For Largest Alliance:_ Palatino, DJ, Rachel, Jonathan

 _Angery Lonely Lesbian:_ Hera

 _Tis But a Flesh Wound:_ Arwan

* * *

Kills:

Void: 2 (Elana, Jenny)

Ember: 2 (Ezra, Powder)

Julius: 1 (Grey)

Aurora: 2 (Deloris, Autumn)

Hera: 1 (Julius)

Rosy: 1 (Aldair)

* * *

 **Sponsor gifts are pouring in and the first post-Bloodbath kill has been made. Also, the arena is starting to be explored by the tributes.**

 **Not much to say here, but see you all next chapter!**

 **-Vr**


	33. Day 2: Never Tear Us Apart

**Day 2:**

* * *

 _Rachel Verona, 16_  
 _District 8 Female_

* * *

Sleeping on a cold, hard rafter hanging several feet in the air above a large stage was a lot different than sleeping an an actual bed. Rachel felt a lot safer up here. Should any tributes approach, she'd be able to spot them first, and take appropriate action. Although, that likely meant nearly trampling three sleeping bodies right next to her.

As far as Rachel was concerned, the stage was her new home. She rubbed at her eyes; she had spent all of last evening silently bawling over Jenny, Powder, and Elana. For almost half of her alliance to fall, just like that...it was terrifying.

But at least she had DJ. She couldn't bear to think of what would happen if she lost them. Not after everything that had happened. They could finally be open to each other, and all it took them was the freaking Hunger Games-

 _Beep._

Two parachutes slowly drifted across the stage, until Rachel was able to grab them and pull them close. One was a dagger with a note from Gibson, Palatino's mentor. Rachel put it aside, for when he woke up. She opened the second gift, revealing a thermos of warm broth. It smelled amazing. Rachel plucked off the note from Lukari off.

 _You and DJ have a lot of support here in the Capitol. Look after one another._

Rachel quickly folded the note and stuck it in her pocket. She felt some hot breath on her shoulder, an indication that DJ was awake. "What's that?"  
"Nothing. We got some more food."  
"Good. I could always use some more food."

Rachel scoffed, packing up the thermos. "Also, this is for Palatino."  
"A knife?"  
"A dagger. More weapons for us."

DJ scoffed. "I didn't get shit."  
"Be patient!"  
"But I want a weapon too!"

"You already have one," Rachel sighed. "I'll share, okay? Maybe we should wake the others-"  
"No."

Rachel glared at DJ, who just give her a single glance. A single glance that spoke volumes. In an alliance with four people, lines were clearly drawn. The Veronas and Palatino and Jonathan. If Palatino knew he was getting much more support then both of the twins, would he really need them? Maybe Rachel could take him on, but at what cost?

The smart thing to do was take out her allies before they could touch her. It didn't surprise Rachel that DJ had no problem with that; they weren't very trusting after all. And blood was thicker than the bonds tying them to the rest of their allies; DJ had their own agenda they were keeping close to their chest. DJ knew that Rachel would join their side no matter what.

Rachel knew this. And Rachel knew that DJ knew this.

But for now, she'd just fake a smile and laugh it all off. Act like nothing was wrong. Rachel was _very_ good at acting, after all.

Over the years, she had seen the way other actors considered better than her had absorbed their characters as part of them, and built up these thick, strong exteriors. Rachel had done the same. After all, in her very emotional family, DJ had let their feelings get the best of them. And Rachel had to be better than DJ, right?

The walls prevented anything from getting at her. She had only let them slip once when she and DJ finally found a way to be honest with each other.

Now, in the Games, she wanted them up more than ever, as to not betray herself. Nobody could see the real Rachel Verona. Not even DJ, as much as they would've wanted to. Rachel could pretend all she wanted that she was the ultimate survivalist with one goal in mind, but she wasn't. She was conflicted, torn, scared.

But nobody else had to know.

Jonathan sat up, nearly kicking Palatino's arm. "So what are we doing today?"  
Rachel shrugged. "I think we're staying here. Maybe scout the area to make sure nobody else is nearby."  
"But that sounds so boring!"

"Deal with it kid," DJ retorted. "I, on the other hand, would rather not get skewered by a Career today, thank you very much."

Now Palatino was awake. Rachel handed him the dagger. "This is for you."  
"A sponsor!"

Palatino silently read his note. "My dad sent the money for this..."  
Jonathan punched his shoulder. "See? What did I tell you?"  
"I just...even after everything I said about him?"

DJ let out a small snort. Rachel just sniffed. Palatino's family was rich enough to sponsor them? No way in hell could her parents and her two older brothers spare the expenses to buy such an expensive gift! She didn't know a lot about Jonathan, but if he had as many siblings he claimed, then likely his family couldn't afford to sponsor him either.

Fine. It was just a single gift, not a big deal. And clearly, someone in the Capitol cared about her. Rachel just had to bide her time.

For now, she was going to act like nothing was wrong. She was good at doing that.

* * *

 _Merona Timmons, 12_  
 _District 10 Female_

* * *

The tent was very roomy and delightfully cool, since there was a good amount of air coming through the flaps. Merona actually liked it. She didn't mind staying here for just a little bit longer. At the same time, the Careers could potentially check this area out first and Merona wasn't sure her alliance could take them on. Yeah, Synth and Alec were big and strong, but what about her and Ace?

"Did you sleep well?" Alec asked her. Merona just shook her head. It was hard to get used to the cold ground underneath the tent. The constant fear surrounding her didn't help either.

Synth was pacing back and forth at the entrance of the tent, spear in hand. Had he slept at all? Ace was curled up, hugging his legs close to his chest and rocking back and forth. Alec rummaged through their supplies. Nobody said a word, probably too sleepy to communicate.

Ace began to yawn and stretch. "Now what? Do we sit here all day?"  
"This is a good hideout," Synth declared. "I don't know why we would want to leave."  
"Because the Careers are coming after us." Alec flopped backwards. "After me."

Ace stopped smiling. "Oh...right..."  
Synth began to tap the butt of his spear against the ground. "Well, I'm guessing they know it's a smarter move to go after other tributes, since we're such a big alliance. But I won't be surprised if they're pushed towards us eventually."  
"That's what I'm worried about!" Alec groaned. "I don't know really know any of them that well, aside from Rosy. But they all probably want revenge."

Ace and Merona exchanged nervous glances. Unlike Synth and Alec, they were both pretty terrified of the Careers and wanted to avoid them as much as possible. Alec may have been target number one, and Synth may have been hoping for a chance to avenge his fallen district partner, but Merona? What should she do against a bunch of highly trained killers?

Adults too. They were all older than her. That was the worst part of all.

Ace's stomach growled and he looked down at it sheepishly. "Um...what's for breakfast?"  
"The same shit we had yesterday." Alec tossed over one of their bags. "Don't eat it all. We have to ration."

After all the luxurious meals in the Capitol made hot and ready for her to order whenever she felt like it, it was taking Merona a while to get used to the chewy dried meat pack she was splitting with Ace. They didn't really have much food around and the hope was that the meat could keep all of them going throughout the day. They all passed around a water canteen, each of them only taking a few small sips.

Synth then handed her a knife. "Here."  
"What am I supposed to do with it?"  
"Just in case."

Merona liked Synth. She liked all of her allies, actually. Synth was really patient and kind, though his constant lurking near the front of the tent wasn't helping her feel any calmer. Alec could be funny sometimes and he was very cautious. Ace was Ace. And yet Merona felt the closest to him. There was that bond between them as district partners, and Ace's very presence helped to relieve a lot of the tension the alliance felt. His jokes were pretty funny, he was always so sunny, and he was from home.

Merona really missed her parents, her dog, and her friends.

Synth peeked out the tent for what had to be the hundredth time already, then jumped back. He hefted up his spear and crouched, pointing the spear towards the tent flap. When nothing happened, he straightened back up and dusted himself off, whistling innocently.

"What happened?" Ace squeaked.  
"I thought I saw something."  
"What was it?"

"Nothing. It was nothing." Synth's voice sounded perfectly casual, but Merona knew something was up. After all, why would've he reacted so quickly if there was nothing to react to?

"Good thing we have you to protect us. "Alec was clearly not paying attention to the conversation. He seemed to be doing everything he could to face the opposite direction. For a brief second, he turned his slightly and Merona realized just how red his face was.

Ace grabbed her hand and pulled her off towards the bathroom attached to the tent. "We're gonna go wash up!"  
Once they were far enough away, Ace lowered his voice. "Did you see that?"  
"Did I see what?"

"Alec totally has a crush on Synth!"

Merona giggled nervously. "How can you be so sure?"  
"He's always avoiding looking at Synth. And he blushes so much! Like, he's either blushing or sunburned. It has to be one of the two."

Ace had a bit of a point, but Merona was not entirely convinced. "Should we do something?"  
"Uhhh...maybe not? He might stab me if he finds out. And what should we do anyways? Set them up on a hot arena date?"  
"Um...yeah, maybe that's not a good idea."

Ace quickly glanced over his shoulder. "And let's not say anything either."  
Merona had to agree. "Sure. It can just be our little secret."

Well, at least Ace and Merona had something to keep them occupied for the duration of the Games.

* * *

 _Ember Johnson, 18_  
 _District 1 "Female"_

* * *

Spending an entire day hunting was starting to get really tiring. Ember and Rosy slumped back to the Cornucopia, neither of them saying anything. Everyone else was already there. Void and Amperia were burning something in one of the pots, while Aurora just watched.

"Anything?" Aurora's voice was hallow.  
Rosy shook her head. "Guys, it's okay. It's only the second day. If the Gamemakers need us to really pick up the pace, they will let us know."

The circus music suddenly stopped playing, replaced by the loud screech of an electric guitar. Everyone jumped and covered their ears as it rang through the loudspeakers.

Void chuckled to himself. "I think they liked that idea."  
"Dinner's ready." Amperia tapped the blade of a knife against the pot.

Dinner was a simple broth, made from the fresher vegetables in the Cornucopia, before they could go bad. Thankfully, there were enough bowls to go around. It felt weird having to slurp the broth out of the bowl rather than use a spoon, but Ember managed. At least without spilling his dinner all over himself.

He never expected the Hunger Games to feel like this. Granted, things weren't so bad after all. He had Rosy, and the two of them made a great pair. While hunting, they spent the entire day telling jokes and swapping stories. Ember had learned of life inside Rosy's art studio and he told her about his brother's wedding. And the two of them had made a pact.

Final two or bust.

He absentmindedly passed a hand over his flattened chest; his stylists had given him a brand new binder to wear that was a lot more comfortable and allowed for a little more movement. Given that the only clothes in the Cornucopia were socks and gloves, the Careers had no choice but to sleep in the clothes they started out the Games with. The binder hung a little loose on him so it wouldn't hurt him while sleeping, but it did its job and made Ember feel more...more...

More like himself.

Void drained the last of his broth with a loud sigh. "Ahh. That hit the spot."  
Ember rolled his eyes. "Yo, Chef Zachariah. It's just minced vegetables and water."  
"I am not allowed to join my own cooking?"

Ember wanted to fight back, but Rosy held up her hand. "Ember," she whispered. "It's not worth it. He's trying to provoke you."  
Ember nodded, gently putting his bowl down at his feet. God, he hated this man so much. And ever since he came out, Void felt more aggravating then ever.

 _Beep._

Aurora was the first one on her feet. "Sponsors."

Sure enough, the silver parachutes gently glided down, until the two packages sat across from the Cornucopia. Aurora picked them up and turned them around in her hands, frowning. "One's for Void and the other's for Ember."  
Rosy gave a small sigh. Ember just patted her shoulder. "Hey, I'm sure you'll get something eventually."

Void was already opening his sponsor gift, a childish smile spreading across his face. Ember slowly opened his up. Maybe it was from his parents? Or some encouragement from Devote? or perhaps, it was from her...

The gift was a framed picture of a carnival. Ember could see the shadow of the Ferris wheel, the roller coaster, and the boardwalk. There was also a delicate pink rose painted onto it. On the back, Ember noticed someone's signature and a little note tucked into the frame. He pulled it out and unfolded it.

 _Ember,_

 _I didn't know what to send you, because you have a lot of stuff right now. So I got you this. It's something you can use to remember me by. All that time we spent chasing each other around the rides and up and down the boardwalk. You're doing amazing so far! I can't wait to have you back!_

 _Love, Constance_

"What does it say?" Rosy asked.  
Ember shoved the note in his pocket. "Um, it was just telling me where the picture was from."  
"Do you know who sent it?"

"Nope! No clue! Might be a Capitol admirer."

Void sneered. He was holding a photo of an ultrasound. "Damn Johnson. Save some pussy for the rest of us."  
Ember's cheeks began to burn. He felt Rosy grab his hand. "Void! Why the hell would you say that to him!?"  
"I was just making a joke, kid. Yeesh."

Rosy scowled. "Well, it wasn't funny."

"Fine, fine. I'll be more sensitive next time. Anyways, my girlfriend sent me a picture. Who wants to see my kid?"  
Void passed the ultrasound around. Ember ignored it. He continued to stare down at his own gift. Constance was still on his side, supporting him. He gently traced her loopy handwriting with his finger.

"I'll come back to you," he whispered. "I promise."

* * *

 _Alliances:_

 _Careers:_ Void, Ember, Aurora, Rosy, Amperia

 _D10 and The Sexual Tension:_ Alec, Ace, Merona, Synth

 _The 12 Year-olds and the Veronas:_ Palatino, DJ, Rachel, Jonathan

 _Angery Lonely Lesbian:_ Hera

 _Lone Lumberjack:_ Arwan

* * *

Kills:

Void: 2 (Elana, Jenny)

Ember: 2 (Ezra, Powder)

Julius: 1 (Grey)

Hera: 1 (Julius)

Rosy: 1 (Aldair)

* * *

 **No more deaths yet, hehe. But alliances dynamics are certainly heating up.**

 **Do you think it's smarter for the Verona twins to stay in their current alliance, or leave? Should Ace and Merona reveal Alec's crush in Synth? Will Void and Ember ever learn to get along? That last question was rhetorical, of course we know they never will. XD**

 **See you all next chapter!**

 **-Vr**


	34. Day 3: Torn

**Trigger warning: some homophobic comments and slurs in Alec's POV.**

 **Day 3:**

* * *

 _Rosemary "Rosy" Ivring, 19_  
 _District 4 Female_

* * *

"Don't come back until you've killed someone," was Void's parting greeting as he and Aurora, as well as Ember and Rosy, split up to do some more hunting. Amperia was in charge of staying behind, in case the Cornucopia got ambushed in the meantime.

"He doesn't have to rub it in," peter snarled. "What does he think we've been trying to do this whole time?"  
"Where do you think we should go?"  
"What about the stage?"

Rosy nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't be surprised if there were some tributes hiding out there."

 _Beep!_ Two sponsor gifts began to drift down. Ember caught them, then passed one over to Rosy. "It's for you."  
Rosy quickly unwrapped the gift to reveal a small set of paints and a tiny paintbrush. There was also a note from Chelsea.

 _In the arena, you are going to forget the beautiful things in life. Don't forget to make something beautiful._

Rosy studied the note, flipping it every way imaginable. Was this some sort of cryptic secret message? Or did Chelsea really expect her to just drop everything and paint? And as much as Rosy loved to paint, now was not the time.  
"What did you get?" Ember asked her.  
"Some paint."

"Oh, cool. People must really love your work then."  
Rosy shoved the paint into the backpack she was carrying. "Hopefully, this will come in handy later. If we don't have anything to do, we can just paint instead."  
Ember shrugged. "That would be a great way to stick it to Void."

"Hey if we don't find any tributes today, we'll just give him a nice self-portrait he can throw knives at."  
"If I don't destroy it myself."  
"What did you get?"

"A tribute tracker."

Rosy almost dropped her bag on her foot. "You're kidding."  
"That's what Devote said it's called."  
"What does it do?"

Ember fiddled with the device, which was a large screen with an antenna and some buttons on the back. "Um, I think it shows us the locations of one of the tributes. But the thing is, it will only work for me up until said tribute is dead. Now, how do I turn this on..."

Ember clicked one of the buttons randomly and the screen went from black to a deep royal purple. It stayed that way for a moment before it went back to black, but this time with green lines floating across the screen. A small purple dot appeared, then was replaced by a triangle striped black and white, pointing in one direction. According to the compass in the side of the screen, it was pointing north.

Ember stretched his hand out into the direction they were planning to travel. "That way."  
"Are you sure?"  
"...no."

Rosy cackled and Ember gave her a small smile, his cheeks glowing pink. "But we said we wanted to check out the stage anyways. And I think you're right. There's someone there."  
"Who do you think it is?"  
"I don't know yet."

Rosy slung her bag over her shoulder. "Well, I think we're going to find out very soon. Do you have your sword?"  
"Always."  
"Okay. Let's go."

As they trudged onward, Rosy tried to think of who the Gamemakers were sending them to. Wasn't there an alliance that ran off in this direction? Was it Alec? That might've been a possibility, to force him to face his ex-allies. But if that was the most reasonable answer, Rosy decided that it didn't make sense. Then again, the screen had made a big deal of showing them the colour purple. Why purple? Rosy tugged some lint off her dark sea blue jacket, pondering to herself what purple could possibly mean...

Her eyes drifted back to her jacket.

Suddenly, everything clicked.

"Ember, you know how each district has their own colour in the arena? Like how mine is blue and yours is white?"  
"What does that have to do with anything?"  
"Who wears purple?"

Ember stopped walking. "Um...District 9. I think."

"District 9..." Rosy hummed to herself, staring back down at the tracker. "I think I know who you're after."  
"You do?"  
"At least I think I do. I have a hunch. Keep walking."

Finally, the large stage was in sight. And the tracker began to loudly beep, almost like an alarm. Rosy blinked; with every loud beep, she saw a quick flash of red. That's when she heard Ember's velvet-coloured voice, asking her if she was ready. He could see a group of tributes hanging in the rafters.

Rosy pulled a throwing knife from the belt she was wearing to carry them. "What do you know. There's tributes here after all."  
"One of them is wearing purple!"

The tributes began to scramble. Ember drew his swords. "Ready, Rosy?"  
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

 _Jonathan Firre, 12_  
 _District 19 Male_

* * *

"So what are we doing today?"  
Rachel sighed. "Jonathan, I don't know!"  
Jonathan pouted, curling up into a little ball as he studied the ground below him. He wished there was more to do in the rafters, or that his allies actually wanted to do something rather than sit here and "watch for other tributes" or whatever the twins called it.

Being cooped up above the stage was just boring.

Jonathan didn't think the Games would so boring. The ones he had watched in the past, there was always so much going on. Hell, even on the first day, there was so much excitement! Well, maybe excitement wasn't the correct word, since the other tributes were pretty terrifying. But at least there was stuff for Jonathan to do.

Up in the rafters, there was limited space. Multiple times, both Veronas refused to let Jonathan climb down for anything other than a bathroom break. So Jonathan started taking more of them, using them as an excuse to go explore the surrounding area. He didn't tell anyone, not even Palatino.

There was something up with the kid from 3. Ever since the Games hard started, Palatino seemed a little more shaken up and quiet. Anytime his father came into the topic, he suddenly became self-critical and doubtful. He jumped at every little noise and refused to let go of his dagger, even to eat or go to the bathroom.

The worst part? Jonathan had a feeling that they weren't as close as they used to be.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Jonathan announced, louder than he needed to.  
DJ cringed in disgust. "You already went three times."  
"Yeah, well I'm going again. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Jonathan climbed down and hurried behind the stage. Nobody would ever look for him here. But at the same time, there was nothing new to see her. He could go round to the front of the stage, but then his allies would see him. Jonathan wasn't sure what would happen if they knew he was betraying their trust like that.

But one little peek wouldn't hurt, right?

He wrapped himself up in the curtains, so only his head was sticking out. The rest of the arena looked so colourful. Too bad his allies didn't want to leave the stage. Jonathan wondered if there was anything inside the trailers; maybe each one had some supplies hidden in them for tributes to use. If he timed it perfectly, he could probably run for the nearest one...

But this "bathroom break" was taking way too long. He needed to head back soon before somebody went looking for him.

As he climbed back onto the stage, Jonathan nearly lost his balance when he heard a loud alarm sound. DJ suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him up. "What the hell did you do!?"  
"I didn't do anything!"  
"Well, somebody did something!"

"Guys!" Rachel was panicked, pointing to two tributes marching towards them with weapons. "We've got company!"  
DJ picked up their axe. "Well, it's a two on four. We can do this."

Jonathan reached for the hatchet, the only other weapon available, but Rachel grabbed it first. The two Careers climbed onto the stage, looking for the entrance to the rafters, one of which was conveniently blocked off by Jonathan and Palatino. The other was free and loud them through the backstage and outside, but if the Careers saw them, there were no shortage of passageways leading to the same area.

DJ hissed. "Fuck. We're screwed."  
"No," Rachel said between breaths. "No. We're not. Everyone, follow me. DJ, I need you to stay at the back..."

Rachel's voice wobbled as she locked eyes with her twin. DJ was clearly fearful, but they gave her a firm nod, shoving Jonathan out of their way. "Alright."

Jonathan grabbed Palatino's hand, dragging him along as he followed after Rachel. The boy from 1 and the girl from 4 had already crawled up onto the rafters. The boy drew his sword but DJ blocked it with their axe. The two weapons kept clashing into each other.

Rachel shoved the door open, Palatino tripping over his own feet to follow her inside. DJ pulled back too, there was no way they'd be winning this fight. They brushed past Jonathan again, who was now at the back of the pack. The Careers were starting to gain up on them...

Then something sharp pricked his leg.

"Got him!"

Jonathan began to feel a bit dizzy as he glanced down. There was a knife sticking out of his shin. Blood quickly oozed out, dripping onto the floor and staining it a dark red.

Another knife struck him in the chest.

Jonathan tumbled backwards, his head smacking against the rafters hard. He heard Palatino scream, the twins shout at him, then fading footsteps as his allies ran, leaving him alone. Alone to die. Jonathan never imagined what dying would actually feel like. He always knew he wanted to live by himself to escape the craziness of his family, but he had expected they'd all see each against at some point.

Now, there was no parent to kiss him goodbye. No brother or sister to hold his hand. No grandparent to gently touch his shoulder and tell him he'd be alright. Just knives and his killers slowly backing away as he choked to death on his own blood.

"Should we go after the rest of them?"  
"No. Let's not risk it."

They were gone soon enough, leaving Jonathan all by himself to fade away as another casualty to the Hunger Games.

 _Boom!_

* * *

 _Alexander "Alec" Thorngrove, 18_  
 _District 4 Male_

* * *

The cannon sent chills down Alec's spot. But what was he so worried about? This was the reality of the Games, after all. Children were going to die at each other's hands.

"Who do it think it was?" Merona asked Ace, who replied with just a shrug, very unusual for the most talkative member of the group. Synth stopped pacing, finally! Alec wished he wouldn't do that; it only made everyone more nervous. But they had to stay on guard, for the Career ambush Alec knew would happen at some point. The Gamemakers would never let him off so easy.

Sometimes, when it was nighttime and all was quiet, Alec wondered if he made a grave mistake, allying with a ragtag team of misfits and not the Careers. But then, he'd always catch a glimpse of Synth sleeping next to him and the sight was reassuring enough to make him feel better about the people he was with...

Goddamn it! What was his problem!?

"We're running low on food," Alec said to nobody in particular. "We'll have enough for tomorrow and that's about it."  
He nearly jumped when he heard Synth's voice behind him. "Damn. Too bad there's no animals in this arena."  
"R-right. And where would we cook it?"

Synth just pointed vaguely with the tip of his spear. "I'd find a way."

Ace and Merona shared a quick look, then both burst into a fit of giggles. They had been doing that a lot in the past two days. Was it a District 10 thing? Some sort of immature joke Alec was too old to understand? Were they laughing at him? He hoped not; he already felt insecure enough.

"I'm going to the bathroom," he finally said. He could finally be alone there.

As he washed his hands, an old thought drifted into his mind, of a young Alec walking down the street with his father. Alec wouldn't have been older than seven at the time, the place was crowded, and multiple times he grabbed his father's hand as to not get separated. Jake refused to let him.

It was hard for Alec to really keep track of all the people he saw, up until his father pointed him out. Two men in their early twenties, arms linked. At one point, they finally stopped walking, held each other, and kissed. At first, Alec had hardly noticed and nobody else in 4 seemed to care. But Jake Thorngrove did.

"That's disgusting."  
"What is?" Little Alec was distracted by a seagull walking alongside him.

"Those fags. And the way they come onto each other like that in a public setting. With children."  
"What's a fag?"

Jake sneered. "It's a dirty, dirty bastard and I hope I'll never have one as a son." he marched on, leaving Alec struggling to catch up.

At the time, it was hard for a kid to understand what that all meant. But as Alec got older, met people who weren't exactly straight, got crushes, tried to ask others out, and just became a typical teenager with a typical teenage love life, he realized it all. And when he realized that some boys were just as cute as girls, he began to worry.

But Jake Thorngrove would never know. Jake Thorngrove couldn't know!

He wouldn't even tell his sister, or his stepmother. It wasn't worth the risk. And Alec hoped it wouldn't be a problem. But when he finally got in close proximity with Synth Greene and realized that this older boy, no. Synth was not a boy, he was a man. And he had his own agenda to get out of here, just like everyone else.

Dammit! A crush on his ally, of all people!? Why did it have to be Synth!? Why couldn't it be someone like Rosy instead!? At least then, he wouldn't risk his dad finding out!

He just glared at his reflection in the mirror, at himself, for being so stupid. For acting like a dumb, hormonal teenager in the Hunger Games of all things. For a brief moment, Alec considered punching the mirror. No, that would just draw Synth's attention and Alec didn't want to face him right now. Synth wouldn't understand. And no way in hell would he feel the same about some kid he met less than a week ago.

There was a knock at the door. Of course, now Synth would show up to bother him. "Alec! You've been in there for a while! Is everything okay?"  
Alec quickly splashed some water onto his face. "Yeah yeah, I'm fine! Just give me another minute!"  
"Um...okay then!"

Right. He couldn't stay in here forever. He'd have to leave this cramp bathroom someday and do something, where that meant actually reveal his feelings for the entire world to know, or stay in denial about it until he died. Or until Synth died. Whichever came first.

Why was it so hard to accept himself? Was it really a big deal? Nobody would judge him, right? Hell, if Ember could come out as trans to the entirety of Panem, then he could certainly let the word "bisexual" slip. Who cared that a single person wouldn't support him? There would be others that would. Right? Right!?

Deep down, Alec knew it had to do with more than just his sexuality. But it was just a giant can of worms he didn't feel like opening.

Synth smirked when he opened the bathroom door. "There you are! What took you so long?"  
"Uh...it's none of your business!"

Synth rolled his eyes. Ace jostled Merona and they both giggled again. As if Alec hadn't spent ten minutes having a nervous breakdown in a cramped bathroom in a giant circus tent while the Hunger Games went on around him. Fine by him. He could happily pretend that nothing happened at all.

But he knew he'd have to confront his fears eventually.

* * *

 **15th place: Jonathan Firre, District 9. Knife thrown into chest by Rosy.**

 **There were a ton of 12 year-olds in PC, but I think Jonathan was one of the ones who stuck out the most. His dynamic with Palatino was so much to write and Jonathan knew exactly what he wanted in life: some peace and quiet away from his rambunctious family. He places here because unlike his allies, he was a bit harder to fit into the plot and I couldn't find a place for him. I felt like this was a good place to end his story, with his death fracturing an already crumbling alliance. Thanks for him JAJ!**

* * *

 _Current Alliances:_

 _The Careers:_ Void, Ember, Aurora, Rosy, Amperia

 _Like everyone except Synth knows what's up:_ Alec, Ace, Merona, Synth

 _That wasn't supposed to happen!_ Palatino, DJ, Rachel

 _Angery Lonely Lesbian:_ Hera

 _Lone Lumberjack:_ Arwan

* * *

Kills:

Void: 2 (Elana, Jenny)

Ember: 2 (Ezra, Powder)

Julius: 1 (Grey)

Aurora: 2 (Deloris, Autumn)

Hera: 1 (Julius)

Rosy: 2 (Aldair, Jonathan)

* * *

 **Well, we're starting to get a little spicy now! What do you think will happen to the alliance of Palatino, Rachel, and DJ, now that Jonathan's dead? Will Alec ever reveal his secret crush, or stay in denial forever? And what could Ace and Merona possibly be giggling about? Well, I think we all know the answer to that last one.**

 **See you all in the next chapter!**

 **-Vr**


	35. Day 4: Hotter Than Hell

**Day 4:**

* * *

 _Arwan Falconer, 24_  
 _District 7 Male_

* * *

The sound of feedback from the loudspeakers woke up Arwan late on the morning of Day 4. He didn't even realize he had been asleep for so long.

So far, he'd been pretty lucky, with a quite a few sponsor gifts coming in his direction. Too bad Birch's notes weren't as helpful as a throwing knife and a canteen of fresh water, but he appreciated the attempt nonetheless.

Now, the weirdest thing was the lack of tributes. Arwan hadn't seen anyone since Void nearly pummeled him to death when they first launched into the arena. Was he just really isolated? Were tributes avoiding him on purpose? Maybe the Gamemakers were letting him stray away for whatever reason. It was uncanny and very, very strange.

But he probably didn't need to worry about that right now. Baby steps. One thing at a time.

Right now, Arwan's biggest concern was his lack of food. His loaf of bread was gone and while having some water was always a good thing, a single canteen would not last forever. Was it possible he could find someone who was better off than him? And maybe kill them for their supplies? Of course, if there were other tributes around...

Arwan felt a little disgusted with himself for ever considering such a dirty move. But then again, this was a game that was meant to be played dirty. If Arwan did make the first move, he was asking for someone else to attack him. And didn't he want to survive? To go back home?

Arwan decided to give it another day. Once the sponsor gifts finally ran out, he'd get a move on.

He was still a little sore, but thanks to the first aid kit he got, he was no longer in danger of immediately dying. Yeah, if his wife was here, she'd make sure Arwan got a good patch job and well rested before he was back on his feet. But simple, basic medicine would have to do for now.

Today was going to be another day of wandering around; at least he'd be doing something so the Gamemakers wouldn't come after him. He was back to exploring the trailers, in hopes that one of them might have something useful inside. It was really surprising he hadn't been through all of the yet. But so far, nothing.

Arwan gathered up everything into his arms; it sucked not having a bag to carry his belongings in, but this was all too important to leave behind. He could make do for now.

He trudged onward. The cheerful circus music continued to play. Arwan had hardly noticed whether or not there were different tracks or just one song on repeat the whole time. It was background noise by now, except for the moments when the Gamemakers liked to send feedback or loud-ass guitars screeching through the arena to give the tributes a good scare.

 _Beep._

Arwan perked up. _A sponsor._

He could see a large package being carried by multiple parachutes, but it was clearly weighing them down. And sure enough, it was heading in Arwan's direction. This gift was meant just for him. All he needed was for it to drift just a little closer to the ground, so he could eventually jump up and grab it...

Suddenly, the parachutes broke off and the sponsor gift came crashing to the ground. There was a loud metallic clang.

"What on earth," Arwan muttered to himself as he took off in the direction of the gift. Was it just too heavy to be supported by little parachutes? Were the Gamemakers trying to send him a message? Or maybe, they were luring him into a trap. Maybe he should just ignore the gift...

But it had something valuable inside. Something that for Arwan, could be the very difference between life and death.

There was a very faint shout, coming from someone who was clearly not Arwan. He pushed through a tight spot between two trailers to find the girl from 3...no...not a girl. A woman. She was holding an axe and standing over the sponsor gift that was rightfully his.

"Hey..." Arwan panted. "Can I have that back...please?"  
"Why? I found it first."  
"It's labelled with a 7. It's clearly meant for me."

Hera plucked the note off the parcel. She opened it up, to reveal a shiny piece of armour inside. "Dear Arwan. We all sent you some money to help buy this gift. It will keep you safe. Please come back home. Love, your darling wife."

"Excuse me, that's not yours! Don't read my notes!"  
"Awww, you're married?" Hera swooned. "So cute! Do you wanna hear about my wife?"  
"No, I'd like my sponsor gift back. Please."

Hera tore the note in half, crumpled it up, and tossed it behind her. "Yeah right. You think I'd just find some fucking body armour lying around and give it up to the random asshole over a sob story? Not a chance. If you want this armour, you'll have to fucking fight me for it."

Arwan's eyes drifted to the crumpled paper ball lying behind Hera's foot and a stream of rage coursed through his body. He drew his knife. "So be it."

Hera smirked and charged at him.

* * *

 _Synthize "Synth" Greene, 20_  
 _District 11 Male_

* * *

BOOM!

Alec jumped. "What the fuck was that!?"  
Synth rolled his eyes. "Alec, watch your mouth. There are children here."

"But...sorry...but what was that?"  
"A cannon." Merona's eyes widened.

Synth wasn't sure why everyone was so on the edge. "Yeah, so? As long as we're all safe and alive, the cannons are not a big deal."  
"Right, right, right!" Alec nodded frantically. "Yep, that's true. I just...wasn't expecting one."

"Guys...there's someone outside-"  
"Ace, for the last time, I don't see anyone there." Synth pressed two fingers against his forehead.  
"No, seriously! There's someone there! Right there!"

Merona poked her head outside the tent. "I don't see anything."  
"Look! Look at him! He's right there! Synth! Do you see him now?"

"No, no I don't. get Alec to look for him, alright? I'm going to the bathroom."

As Synth, relieved himself, he felt a sudden pain in his stomach. Between the four of them, and only four days in, they had no food or water left. This wasn't good. While the bathroom sink thankfully was functional and there was enough room for Synth to stick his mouth under the tap, food was going to be a huge issue. Without food, they would die.

Alec had brought this to attention last night, when he and Synth were keeping watch. Speaking of Alec, he was acting really strange. He interacted with Ace and Merona just fine, but with Synth, he tripped over his words, constantly avoided eye contact or just being around him in general.

Did Synth do something wrong?

He hoped not. He didn't know what had gotten into Alec and couldn't do anything to address the problem until his ally started speaking properly to him again.

Synth began to scrub his dirty hands in the sink, when he felt hot breath down the back of his neck. He glanced upwards, looking straight into the mirror, and noticing a face behind him. At first, he assumed he had forgotten to lock the door and Alec had come in.

But the door was torn completely off its hinges. And Alec was nowhere near seven feet tall. Or, sporting ridiculous black and white makeup with a bright red nose, a rainbow wig, and a jumpsuit covered in polka dots and stained with dried blood.

 _What the actual f-_

"Mutt!" Alec screamed. "Mutts!"  
"I told you!" Ace yelled. "I told you someone was there!"

The clown mutt growled and punched Synth in the stomach, knocking him backwards into the mirror. It shattered, the glass shards falling into the sink. Synth collapsed immediately, crawling on his elbows and knees towards the exit of the bathroom as the clown swung a second punch. A hand clamped down on his ankle. Synth flipped over and kicked as hard as he could.

He could already see what was happening in the main tent and it terrified him.

A second clown mutt grabbed Ace by the back of his jacket, throwing him backwards into all the supplies. Merona shrieked, running for her district partner, but the clown grabbed her. It had purple circles surrounding its eyes and a large blue grin.

Alec was backed into a corner by two other clowns. He was holding a sword, but he was clearly outmatched. A clown wearing a frilly pink and green frock jumped at him, and Alec shoved the sword into its middle. The clown spit a wad of blood into Alec's face while the other one wearing a party hat grabbed him from behind.

Synth finally kicked himself free and picked up his two spears. He threw one at the clown holding Merona; the spear pierced through its side and it slumped over. Merona scrambled to her feet, grabbing Ace's hand and pulling him up.

Synth threw his second one at one of the two clowns trapping Alec, who was now lying on the floor, still holding a sword stained with mutt blood. The spear hit the pink and green mutt in the back; the party hat clown pulled the spear free and swung it at Alec, who blocked it with his sword.

There was a bloodcurdling scream from Merona. One of the clowns had just sunk its teeth into her leg. Ace quickly ripped the spear out of its side, whacking the mutt repeatedly over the head with it. "Merona! Oh god, Merona! Are you okay?"  
Merona was suddenly looking very pale. "N-no..."

There was a loud crash from the bathroom as the first clown, the one that had attacked Synth, stumbled out. It made eye contact with Synth, grinned, then opened its mouth wide. A huge trail of fire came bursting out, some of which caught onto the walls of the tent as a horrible burning smell filled the air.

Synth grabbed Ace, still holding the spear. "Let's get out of here!"  
"We need to get Merona!"  
"Ace, there's no time!"

Alec grunted loudly, pushing the clowns off him. "Grab the supplies!"  
"No time for supplies! Everyone out!"

"I'm not leaving without Merona!" Ace wailed. Alec grabbed the younger boy, and slung him over his shoulder. Synth followed close behind as the fire slowly spread along the walls of the tent. The clowns all burst into laughter, which rang in Synth's ears.

The Sun was starting to set outside and the fresh air never felt more delightful. Synth sank to his knees, before Alec let out a yelp, clutching his shoulder where Ace had kicked him.  
"Ace! What are you doing!?"  
"I'm going back for Merona!"

"Don't you dare!" Alec yelled, picking up his sword. Synth grabbed him and held him back as Ace ran back into the burning tent.

* * *

 _Ace McCree, 15_  
 _District 10 Male Tribute_

* * *

Ace was ten years old again, holding his father's hand as they walked through the busy market of District 10. Just over a week ago, there was an incident where some cattle had broken loose and stomped all over the place, injuring people and destroying land. Refusing to give everyone time to repair the damage, the Peacekeepers had increased quotas instead. At the time, Ace had thought nothing of it.

Peacekeepers patrolled the market. Ace clung onto Thay McCree, terrified of the people in the pristine white uniforms. Thay had assured him that as long as Ace let them be, they would never hurt them. But he had seen them hurt others. It was scary.

And he watched as someone charged the nearest Peacekeeper with a fence post. Then it all went to hell.

The riot practically exploded around him with everyone running about and attacking the Peacekeepers. His father's hand slipped away and someone shoved Ace to the ground. When he looked up, a Peacekeeper was raising his baton over him. Ace curled up with his hands over his head, preparing for that blow...

When Thay McCree jumped in the way and the Peacekeeper struck him instead.

Ace could do nothing but watch his father get beaten to death's door.

As he ran into the tent, that one scene was all he could think about. Back then, someone was dying in front of him and he couldn't do anything. Here, maybe he could. He wasn't going to just abandon Merona or freeze up in fear when she needed him.

He could still save her.

The thick smoke in the air made his eyes water and the hysterical clown laughter made him want to run away screaming. Ace glanced around, looking for a weapon. That's when he noticed a thin red guitar lying against the wall, in the shape of a V.

One of the clowns mutts lunged at him. Ace swung the guitar around and smacked it in the face. The mutt jumped back, stunned, and Ace brushed past it. The flames were everywhere now.

"Merona! Merona, where are you?"  
"Ace...Ace? Ace!"  
"Merona! Hang tight, I'm coming!"

Merona gasped loudly, shakily propping herself onto her knees. She was still losing a lot of blood. The remaining mutts circled her; Ace watches as one of them licked its lips with a black forked tongue. He gripped the guitar harder as Merona crawled towards him.

"We need to leave..."  
"I know. Can you walk?"

Merona shook her head. Her hands gave out underneath her and she collapsed.

Ace quickly picked his district partner up, slinging one of her arms over his shoulder. Merona began to hobble on her good leg as Ace pulled her towards the exit of the tent. The smoke made it hard to see and even harder to breathe. he felt like his skin would just melt straight off him, leaving both of them to burn to a crisp. The mutts snarled and for second, Ace thought he felt someone claw at his back...

Almost there, almost there...

Ace screamed as the crowd cleared, leaving a his bloody father lying on the ground. "Dad? Dad! Get up!"  
Thay didn't move. His chest slowly rose and fell, his eyes fluttering open, then closed. Ace began to cry as he tugged his father's jacket, trying to pull him up. Finally, he heard a new voice behind him. "Oh my god! What happened here!?"

"My dad...Dad, please! I wanna go home! Can we go home?"  
The man bent down and picked Thay up. Ace noticed his black hair and long and thick, and his eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses. "Where do you live, kid? I'll help take him home."

Ace remembered the torn look on his stepmother's face when she tried to nurse Thay back to help, but failed. The way he clung onto Bodi. Davy's pale face, as he tried to back out of the kitchen. That was the first time Ace had ever seen his stepbrother cry.

"Are..." Merona coughed violently. "Are we..."  
"Almost."  
"Good..."

"Merona...I'm so sorry..."

he couldn't breathe...couldn't breathe...

The tent practically burst into flames. Ace gave Merona a hard push, knocking her out of the burning tent and he jumped after her, sinking to his knees in the dirt as he began to pant heavily. Suddenly, he fell into an unfamiliar pair of arms, who quickly held him up.

"Hey Ace...it's okay. We got you." The voice sounded suspiciously like Synth. "I've got you. I can't believe that you actually went back and did that. Merona's safe by the way, Alec's taking care of her. Ace? Ace, can you hear me?"

Ace slumped forward and Synth barely caught him before he struck the ground again.

* * *

 **Cliffhanger!**

 **I'm going to hang off on eulogies and alliance updates until the next chapter! So make your predictions now! What happened between Arwan and Hera? Will Ace and Merona be okay? What the heck is Vr up to now!?**

 **:3**


	36. Night 4: Cold As Ice

**Night 4:**

* * *

 _Aurora Xu, 18_  
 _District 2 Female_

* * *

"This fucking sucks," Void groaned. "Someone died today, and it wasn't even because of us."  
Ember bit into an apple. "Just be patient."

Void sneered. "Oh, I almost forgot! You're little Mr. Perfect! How many kills have you got, huh?"  
"Not everything in this arena can be about you."  
"Wanna say that to my fucking face, Johnson?"

"Alright, that's enough!" Rosy grabbed Ember and pulled him back. "Void, stop antagonizing Ember!"  
"Who said I was doing anything?"  
"Well, you're clearly doing it on purpose."

"Um...guys?" Amperia was sitting inside the Cornucopia. "What's the dinner plan?"  
"We don't have one tonight," Rosy sighed. "But everyone grab some fruit. We need to eat it before it goes bad."

Aurora peeled a banana, watching the sun set. Yet another day had gone by, without her or Void being successful. She wasn't sure why he always insisted on teaming up with her, but then again, Ember and Rosy were thick as thieves and Amperia was pretty useless. But why the hell wasn't she finding anything? Did the Gamemakers want her to fail?

How did this look back home? Thanks to Julius's incompetence, she was now 2's only hope for a Victor. She could pull it off. There were still quite a few tributes left, but that didn't mean anything. But what would her parents say, watching Aurora do practically nothing in an arena with a bunch of homicidal adults and the world's worst Career pack?

Maybe they were laughing at her and her shitty situation. Or her sister refused to acknowledge her. Or the district cringed in embarrassment, fingers crossed that the Games would be over soon so they could train a decent pair of competent Careers for next year...

No! Aurora refused to accept that. There were so many District 2 Victors, like Jumanji and Shale, that had dealt with way worse and managed to pull through. If they could rise to the top and win against all odds, then so could Aurora. This was nothing. She'd get through it just fine.

She tossed her banana peel into the shadows; there was a faint squish as it landed against the side of a tent. Then there was a faint beep and Aurora's ears perked up. So did the rest of the Careers. Everyone knew what that sound meant.

"Sponsors!" Rosy sang as she reached up to grab the floating parachutes. "Let's see...this one's for me, oh my God, two for Void!"  
"It's such a curse to be so popular!" Void said in a fake voice as he unwrapped his gifts. "A tribute tracker...ah, that will be good for tomorrow..."

Aurora grimaced. Who the hell wanted to sponsor Void, of all people? And why wasn't anybody sending stuff to her, the only real Career?

"Now...what's in here?" Void wiggled his fingers. The second gift suddenly jerked to the side.  
Ember frowned. "It's moving."  
"Oh relax, Johnson. No need to be scared of a little package..." Void trailed off as he stuck his hand into the bag, and his eyes went wide.

Everyone jumped back as Void whipped his hand out, revealing the live lobster clinging onto it. Rosy burst into laughter and Ember let out a few giggles. In the safety of the horn, Amperia chuckled as well. Aurora couldn't hide the small grin on her face. Void just looked pissed.

"Well, don't just stand there! Someone take it off!"  
"Are you kidding?" Ember snickered. "I'm not touching that thing!"  
Void just groaned, walking up to the Cornucopia. He swung the lobster against the side of the metal horn until it finally let go of his hand. Void grabbed the nearest pot, then dumped the lobster in it. "There. He can stay in here."

"Are we gonna cook him?" Amperia asked.  
"Eventually. Who says no to fresh lobster?"

Someone went out of their way to send Void a live animal. And Aurora hadn't hear anything from her parents ever since she left the District.

Not like they couldn't afford any gifts; her father was the freaking mayor, for crying out loud! They had to be ignoring her. Or Nike was purposely withholding gifts. Great. Her mentor was the last person she wanted to piss off.

"Another tribute tracker?" Rosy asked as she picked it up. "Who's it for?"  
Void's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by 'another', Rosy?"  
"Um...nothing. I thought I had seen one before, but I think it was just something else."

Aurora stalked back into the horn. "Well, you might as well use it before everyone else dies again to outside sources thanks to our incompetence as a Career pack."  
"It's too dark," Ember shrugged. "We'll go hunting again tomorrow."  
"Wow. For once, I actually agree with Johnson."  
"Can it, Void!"

"Idiots," Aurora muttered to herself.

* * *

 _Alexander "Alec" Thorngrove, 18_  
 _District 4 Male_

* * *

The sky slowly dimmed as the flames died out. Alec felt cold. He wrapped his jacket tighter around himself, doing his best to stay warm. Who knew this arena could get so chilly at night?

Ace hadn't woken up since he passed out. Merona was also fast asleep; her jacket had been wrapped tightly around her leg to try and stop the bleeding. Too bad they didn't have any first aid to help her with. Alec just watched her chest slowly rose and fell.

"Can't sleep?"  
"I know. I should."

Synth just yawned. "Well, I can't blame you. I feel like shit too."  
"We left one of our allies to die."  
"Don't forget the supplies. That was my fault."

Alec's cheeks began to burn. Why did Synth have to sit to close to him. "Well, I'd rather live, even if..."  
"That's what I was thinking. But we need food and water..."  
"Yeah..."

Alec trailed off, quickly glancing away and pretending that the burnt remains of their hideout was way more interesting than talking to Synth. God, this was so pathetic! Why couldn't he just act like a mature adult and say something?

"Are you okay?"  
"I'm fine!"

"Okay..." Synth's voice was flat. "I can't help but feel like I did something wrong."  
"No, no you didn't. You didn't do anything."  
"Then how come you won't talk to me?"

Great. He had to open up now. "Um...it's personal...it kinda has to do with..." He quickly stopped. His family was probably watching everything right now and no doubt his father would be pissed off. Was it really worth the risk? To come out as the possibility of his own dad disowning him?

"Can I tell you a secret?"  
Synth nervously laughed. "You do realize that..."  
"Yeah. And I don't care. I'm done hiding it."

Synth didn't respond. Alec began to clench his fists. "I've been trying to hide my bisexuality for years. I didn't want my family to get upset if they ever found out. But that's stupid. And I just don't think I can do it anymore."

Silence. After only about a minute, but what felt like an eternity to Alec, Synth responded with a single, "Okay."  
"You don't seem to care."  
"This isn't my place to say anything. And I guess I can't relate. I've been out for almost five years."

"How did you find out?" Alec asked in a whisper. "And your parents didn't get mad, did they?"  
"Well, I knew ever since I was a teenager that I wasn't into relationships with girls and got a few crushes on some very cute guys. And my parents were perfectly fine; it hasn't affected our relationship the slightest. I have a few siblings, so they'll get grandkids some other way. Why do you ask?"

Alec didn't say anything as his entire face turned red. He looked away.  
"Oh...Oh, I didn't realize! Alec, I'm so sorry-"  
"Stop talking about it!"

"Alec, I...sorry, I should've known. And I shouldn't be bringing it up either...I never knew you felt that way. But...well, I don't think I can-"  
"Shut up. I get it, it's never gonna work. Because you're a grown man from 11 and I'm just some dumb teen who's supposed to be killing everyone with the Careers right now. Just...stop."

There was a faint beeping noise, cutting Synth off before he could respond. It turned out to be a sponsor gift, containing two big fluffy blankets. Synth rummaged through them, hoping to find some extra goodies tucked inside. When the blankets proved to be empty, he just sighed.

"Well, at least it won't be so cold tonight. They're showing the anthem now."  
"Who died?"  
"The man from 7. Arwan, I think."

Alec let out a low whistle. "Wow."

BOOM!

Instinctively, Alec looked over at Ace and Merona. They both seemed fine, just fast asleep...no, there was something off about Merona. In the dark it was hard to tell, but her skin was paler. Ace stirred, having been woken up by the cannon. He quickly shook his district partner awake.

"Merona! Merona? Come on, this isn't funny! You can't be...no...no!"  
"Ace," Synth whispered as he reached for the younger boy. "She's gone."

Ace slapped Synth's hand away, then flipped himself over, muffling his sobs with his hands. Alec wanted to cry a well, barely registering the feel of the blanket Synth wrapped around his shoulders. All their food and water, gone. A hideout, reduced to ash. An ally, dead. A crush, rejected. A secret spilled. How much more could he take?

These Games were getting worse and worse.

* * *

 _DJ Verona, 16_  
 _District 8 "Male"_

* * *

The sudden cannon snapped DJ back to reality; they had agreed to take the first watch tonight. If they had been properly keeping track of things, that cannon meant they were now in the Fina l12. Their eyes drifted over to their sleeping allies. DJ watched them for a little bit, before finally standing up. They had been considering this for a while and it may have been a bit too early, but something in their gut told them the right time was now.

They poked their sister in the shoulder.

"Rachel. Get up."  
"Ngggh." Rachel swatted at them. "Five more minutes."  
"Get up right now, or I'll pants you on live TV in front of all of Panem."

"You wouldn't dare," Rachel yawned. But she was up. "Are you okay?"  
"Pack everything up. Quietly."  
"DJ, what's going on?"

"We're leaving."

Rachel froze. "But...why? What the hell would that accomplish?"  
"Shut up and get packing."  
"You're just gonna leave Palatino here?"

"Yes." The word was like acid on DJ's tongue. For a second, they felt a little guilty. "He'll be fine. Everyone will wanna sponsor him now. He was just gonna slow us down anyways."  
"At least give him the dagger. It's his."

DJ gently tucked the dagger next to the sleeping Palatino. Hidden in the curtains behind the stage, nobody would ever notice him here. But DJ was done helping him. They had always gotten a bad feeling about Palatino and all the controversy surrounding him. And they were not going to die because they associated with the wrong 12 year-old.

Rachel handed them the bags, all neatly packed up. DJ grabbed their axe, then slung one bag onto their shoulders. "Let's go."  
"I can't believe you actually want to do this."  
"I want to survive."

Rachel awkwardly pressed her hands together. "I know. I want to as well. It's just...we're alone...in the dark..."  
"Can you see? I know you don't have your glasses."  
"Yeah, it's alright. It's not too bad." Rachel punched her twin's arm. "But if you lead me right to another tribute, I will haunt you forever."

DJ faked a laugh. It was awkward having to rely on their sister to watch their back, after so many months being at each other's throats. And that was something that couldn't be fixed in only a few days. They had a lot of ground to cover, so many apologies that needed to be said, before DJ could ever consider trusting Rachel again, allowing her to get close to them...

And yet she was their closest ally.

Nobody knew them the way she did.

Rachel instinctively brought a hand up to her face, then stopped. "Damn. I forgot."  
"It's gonna be hard to get you new frames in here."  
The twins both laughed. "Fucking Void," Rachel chuckled. "He owes me big time!"

DJ just shrugged. "If you didn't spend so much time reading scripts in the dark, you wouldn't have this problem!"  
"A good actress has all of her lines memorized!"

DJ rolled their eyes. "You can be so dramatic sometimes...but in a good way."  
"Same for you, dear twin of mine."

They could pretend everything was back to normal. A part of them still hated Rachel for everything she had done. Yet, they wanted to talk to her. To crack a joke and hear her laugh. They just wanted their sister back, to go back to normal before they drove her away.

It took the motherfucking Hunger Games to make that happen.

There was a small gust of wind and the weird noise of a tent flap smacking against the ground. DJ hefted their axe, just in case. They felt Rachel grab their arm. As it turned out, the tent was completely abandoned.

The wind was cold and DJ shivered. Where the hell was everyone!? Was this a cruel Gamemaker prank?

"DJ, maybe we should go back. I bet Palatino hasn't noticed yet."  
"No. I stand by what I said."  
"Come on! now's not the time to be stupid!"

Rachel's words cut like a knife. DJ forced themself to grip the axe tighter and hold it steady. "He's not my ally anymore. You're my ally and only you. I'm doing what I can to keep both of us safe and that's it. Don't go back, alright? Stay with me. We're family."

Was their sister crying? DJ couldn't tell. But Rachel just straightened up and brushed at her eyes with her sleeve. "Alright. I trust you."

DJ just dropped the axe, wrapping their arms around their twin. "It's okay. We can do this. We're Veronas after all!"  
"You don't have a plan, do you?"  
"Not in the slightest."

* * *

 **14th place: Arwan Falconer, District 7. Axed repeatedly by Hera.**

 **I am always a sucker for parent tributes. Really, Arwan was just a caring father-to-be who wanted to go home and look after his expecting wife. He was a lone wolf from the start, which is fun in contrast to all the crazy alliances we've seen. And he's just a simple guy with simple goals. And now, here's where things will get really spicy, now that we know he went up against Hera, and was not victorious. Thank you so much for him, Sparky She-Demon!**

 **13th place: Merona Timmons, District 10. Mauled by mutts and bled out.**

 **Ultimately, I knew Merona wasn't going to survive the fatal clown encounter, causing a lot of grief and angst to her alliance. She was a cute kid, and I loved writing her and Ace. Their relationship was very clear and straightforward; they loved to hang out together. Merona was such great contrast to the rest of her alliance and I will miss this adorable cinnamon roll. To her submitter, if you're still reading this, thanks for her!**

* * *

 _Alliances:_

 _The Careers Plus A Lobster:_ Void, Ember, Aurora, Rosy, Amperia

 _Well, This Sucks:_ Alec, Ace, Synth

 _The Two Veronas:_ DJ, Rachel

 _Uhhh...what happened here...:_ Hera

 _In For A Rude Awakening:_ Palatino

* * *

Kills:

Void: 2 (Elana, Jenny)

Ember: 2 (Ezra, Powder)

Julius: 1 (Grey)

Hera: 2 (Deloris, Autumn)

Hera: 2 (Julius, Arwan)

Rosy: 2 (Aldair, Jonathan)

Other: 1 (Merona)

* * *

 **Woahhhhhhhh, we're halfway there!**

 **Yep, it's the Final 12 already! Did the outcome of Hera vs Arwan surprise you? What's gonna happen to Alec, Ace, and Synth? Did the Veronas make a smart move in ditching Palatino, or is that gonna come round and bite them in the butt later? Are the Careers gonna eat that lobster, or keep him as a pet?**

 **See you all in the next chapter!**

 **-Vr**


	37. Day 5: Rock and Roll Clowns

**Day 5:**

* * *

 _Hera Myrana, 23_  
 _District 3 Female_

* * *

"Why did you do it?"

Arwan was sitting in front of her, perched on top of a trailer. His eyes had been torn from their sockets, leaving dark trails of blood spilling down his face. He held out his hands towards her, revealing the gross stubs where Hera had chopped off his fingers. It must've been her. But she couldn't even recall doing it.

"I had a family to go back to. A wife who loved me. I was going to be a father."  
"S-so?" Hera's voice cracked. "You think I don't want to go back to my wife?"  
"Then you must know how I feel. So why did you do it?"

"Well...b-because! That's what I'm supposed to do! I want to get out of here!"

Arwan said nothing, still staring in her general direction with hollow eye sockets. Then he jumped at her and Hera awoke, clutching her chest and panting heavily. She was alone, having passed out at the back of the nearest trailer.

"Fuck," Hera groaned, rubbing at her eyes. She couldn't even get a chance to relax while she was sleeping! Stupid dumb nightmare, something she hadn't had in a long time. The last one she remembered was shortly after her father kicked her out, so she slept on the streets for a night, before staying with her then-girlfriend ever since.

The adrenaline of yesterday had worn off. Hera pulled a small chunk of bread of Arwan's half-eaten loaf, chewing on it quietly. Did she regret what she had done? Well...a little bit. But that was the Game, wasn't it? If she let every little sob story get her down, then she'd never make it out of here alive.

The bread caught in her throat. Hera sighed and put the rest of it away.

She slowly peered out of the trailer, checking the roof, just in case. No half-dead monstrosities there. Hera knew that her imagination was just running wild, probably from the lack of sleep, but for a moment, she swore she was two hands with nubby little fingers slowly reaching over the edge of the roof...

This arena was not treating her well.

Her axe still had bits of Arwan's blood on it. No matter how hard Hera scrubbed it, the stupid stains wouldn't go away. It was practically taunting her at this point. She couldn't wash away what she had done. The axe was still dirty, a harsh reminder...

Yeah? So what? So what she killed two people? There were plenty of other people in this arena who would do the same! The first one was well deserved revenge for Grey. She probably didn't have to take out Arwan like that, but she really wanted the body armour and he wasn't going to give it up to her so easily.

And honestly, the armour was worth it. It was pretty big on her, but it offered a lot of protection. She had tried denting it with her axe and it took a lot of effort. If this was the kind of shit Arwan was getting on a regular basis, she wondered what people were sending to the Careers, the kings and queens of the arena.

Hera already had taken down one Career.

There were no consequences.

She could do it again.

She didn't mind.

Right?

She closed her eyes for a brief second, suddenly feeling very exhausted. She imagined Julius standing in front of her, looking so small. He thought he was the hot shit when he attacked Grey. But he was dead and she was still here. Who was the hot shit now?

Suddenly, Julius slowly morphed into a young women. Freya. Her wife.

"Hera, what are you doing? Don't you know it's wrong?"  
Hera blinked. Yeah...maybe...outside of the arena, killing _was_ wrong. But not in here. Not when all she wanted to do was survive.

"Come on sweetheart, you're better than this. Use that wonderful brain of yours and think. there's always another way out."

Hera's vision blurred for a second and just like that, Freya was gone. But then again, she was never here to begin with. Exhaustion was an absolute bitch sometimes, playing mind tricks and forcing Hera to see things that weren't real.

She tried picking off a bit of the dried blood on her axe. She could always try washing it, but that would be such a waste of her precious water. Fine, it wasn't a big deal anyways. Hera didn't care. It made look a lot more threatening, didn't it?

It made sure everyone else knew exactly who they'd be messing with.

* * *

 _Void Zachariah, 25_  
 _District 1 Male_

* * *

As usual, the Careers were up bright and early, ready for another day of hunting. But Void had a different plan in mind.

Amperia twisted a strand of hair around her finger. "Are you sure?"  
"Yes. I wouldn't have brought it up otherwise."  
"I don't mind staying back again-"

"If you're gonna be a part of this alliance, you need to contribute." Void wagged his finger. He heard a loud sigh from one of his allies. "Oh, what's the problem now?"  
"The problem is that." Aurora swung her hand out, gesturing at Amperia. "She's gonna slow me down! And already I've found nothing for a few days now! How the hell can I get anything done while I'm babysitting her?"

Ember grabbed Rosy's hand and slowly began pulling her off. Hmmm. Smart move of them to get the fuck out before the argument escalated.  
"Aurora, can you just relax? It's one day and I need to stay back here to do something really important."

Aurora muttered some last choice words, then stomped off. Amperia meekly followed behind. Void was now alone.

He pushed his way into the back of the Cornucopia, retrieving two lumpy parachutes full of goodies. Today was a bit early to start working on his plan, but with only half of the tributes left, he wasn't going to risk his own life just because he wasn't prepared.

He unwrapped the parachutes to reveal bunch of materials he could use to craft some sort of weapon.

Void dumped everything into his lap and set to work. His first instinct was to build a bomb, but then he'd only get one use of it and it could kill him if someone else detonated it first. He fiddled with the wires for a bit, before another idea struck him.

 _A tazer._

He had already done it before, after all. And nobody else would have any idea how to operate it.

It was a flawless plan.

Void spent a few good hours putting things together, taking them apart, then putting them back together. It was a bit harder when he didn't really have a blueprint or anything. At the same time, Void could almost feel Leroy's eyes on him from wherever his grouchy mentor was. And that was a satisfying thought.

Leroy Michowitz made a huge mistake in underestimating him.

 _Beep._

There was a sponsor gift slowly drifting towards him, before it fell short, sitting on the outskirts of the pedestals surrounding the Cornucopia. Void had no clue what he wanted to be inside, but it looked too small to be of any use. Finally, he quickly retrieved it and opened it up. Inside was a red foam ball with a small slit in it.

"What the actual-"  
Void tossed it around in his hands a bit, still a bit confused. What was this thing and why did someone go out of their way to send it to him? He picked up the parachute, flipping it inside out and all around, looking for a note or another gift he might've overlooked. Finally, Void pulled out a slightly crumpled paper with a single word on it.

 _HONK._

Turning the paper in a little ball, Void couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Oh, I see. very clever. Everyone in this arena is an absolute clown. I appreciate the symbolism. Thank you very much." He tossed the red clown nose aside, turning back to his work.

"Now, let's see...that goes there, and I just connect this...no, that wire's out of place...so where should I put it...ah, there we go!"

His tazer was finally done and Void gave it a try. Immediately, the tazer crackled to life with a loud buzz, creating bright little sparks of electricity. Too bad there was nobody else to test it on. He certainly wasn't using this thing on himself.

Now what? Should he hide this thing somewhere safe so his other allies couldn't get to it? Just own up? No, that was a pretty dumb move. He didn't need to give his district partner a good reason to slit his throat open in the middle of the night. Void rummaged around the Cornucopia a bit, looking for a good hiding spot where the other Careers would never think of checking.

His eyes lingered on the sleeping bags at the mouth of the horn. There were five of them; each one was a different colour and had been claimed by a different Career. Void zipped open the large blue one, which lingered a bit further away from the other four. He slowly placed the tazer inside, fluffing up the sleeping bag, then zipped it back up. Now he had to remember his invention was there and not accidentally crush it in his sleep.

He opened up a canteen and took a nice long sip of water to refresh his parched throat. Huh, the Cornucopia looked a bit messy. It was a probably a good idea to try and organize everything, so that way, he could prove he actually did something productive today.

Void took his leftover scraps, wrapping them back up in the parachute. It looked way too small, so he stuck the red clown nose in there as well. Hopefully, nobody noticed or cared to notice. By the time they suspected something was up, Void's tazer would be at their throats and his knife in their chests.

Was it rather morbid and cruel of him to think of all the ways he could slaughter his allies? A little bit.

But he already had the blood of two other people on his hands.

He could do it again.

Right?

* * *

 _Palatino Clear, 12_  
 _District 3 Male_

* * *

He had never felt more terrified in his life.

Even the little red clown nose, as funny as it was, did little to comfort him. Palatino scrunched it up in his hands, tears streaming down his face. The Sun was starting to set, casting eerie shadows along the ground and stage.

The kind of shadows monster hid in.

Palatino's dagger lay beside him, the only relief he had. But still, it didn't make him feel any safer. Nothing could compare to the sudden unease and dread he felt waking up late today, finally starting to get over Jonathan's death, only to find his last two allies had ditched him.

Knowing that there was always someone stuck in the same shitty situation as him made him a little more confident. And having a bit group of allies wasn't too bad either. But with almost having the group perishing on the first day and the Verona twins practically joined at the hip, the only person left for Palatino to trust was Jonathan. And he too was dead.

He didn't know what happened to DJ and Rachel. But they were gone. They chose to leave him behind.

Why?

Palatino sniffed as he traced the design of the dagger handle with his finger. He thought he could talk to Rachel and she'd be willing to talk to him. If he was just slowing everyone down, why couldn't someone let him know? If he did something wrong, how could he make things right?

Instead, they ran off, leaving him alone.

Palatino couldn't remember the last time he felt so alone.

Even at home, the Clear residence was always bustling with hired help. Mommy and Daddy were always there, if Palatino ever needed them. The very thought of his parents made him want to cry again. He didn't really have in it him, to be mad at them anymore. It was just too tiring.

Did it piss Palatino off to know his parents kept the Hunger Games a big secret from him for so long? Oh yes, one hundred percent. But it wasn't like they had any mean intentions, right? They were just doing what mothers and fathers did, keeping their son safe. And they did love them. Palatino loved them too.

He imagined the entire household gathered around the television. Would his father still be wearing a crisp, clean suit, or something a little messier? How did his face look? Palatino couldn't even recall ever seeing his father cry. As the mayor of the entire District, he always needed to remain strong and professional.

He thought his his room. A lone bed, only made for a certain 12 year-old boy. Clean, crisp, and untouched. With folded blankets and fluffed pillows. All his toys and gadgets, in boxes and on shelves, where they properly belonged. Well, that didn't matter as much as the people he missed in District 3.

Ugh, he wished Jonathan was here. He wasn't ready to be alone again.

The dagger's handle felt sticky. At least he still had a weapon, right? DJ and Rachel let him keep his sponsor gift. But Palatino didn't want to have to use it. Him, trying to kill something else...or someone else...it was a terrifying thought.

 _Hisssssss._

Palatino jumped. "Who's there?"  
There was no reply.  
"Again, who's there? Don't make me repeat myself a third time!"

He slowly crawled to his feet, grabbing the dagger. But he couldn't see anything that looked out of place. It was just the shadows; his eyes were playing tricks on him. They were making him see things that didn't exist. Making him feel more paranoid.

Then the shadows moved.

Palatino wanted to scream. The shadows were moving towards him.

He glanced around for an escape, then up at the rafters above him. Of course; that was the whole reason his alliance was hiding up there in the first place! His eyes drifted back to the shadows where two red slits stared him down. Then a thin white tongue. Oh crap. What was that!?

The clown lunged at him.

Palatino shrieked. He took off towards the back of the stage, in search of a hiding place. The clown mutt continued to his as it barreled after him, using its long, gangly arms to push itself across the floor. The door to the rafters was wide open. Just a few more steps, and he could slam it shut in the mutt's face-

The second Palatino reached the steps, he grabbed the handle, but the mutt's claws were stuck in the door, holding it wide open. The hissing noise grew louder and louder as a bright red liquid dripped from the mutt's tongue onto Palatino's shoes. What was that!? Saliva!? Blood!? Which one would be worse!?

Suddenly, the mutt froze.

Its body completely stopped moving, tongue still sticking out and claw clutching onto the door. Palatino didn't want to stick around to see what was next. He hurried up the stairs. Thankfully, there was another door at the top with a speaker next to it. Palatino slammed the door shut, blocking it with the speaker. He wasn't going to let anybody else get to him.

Then, he flopped backwards, suddenly feeling really dizzy. It didn't take much longer before he passed out.

* * *

 _Current Alliances:_

 _The Careers, Their Lobster, and Void's Tazer:_ Void, Ember, Aurora, Rosy, Amperia

 _What Are They Up To?_ Alec, Ace, Synth

 _The Two Veronas:_ DJ, Rachel

 _Could You Like, Not Hallucinate Dead Tributes?_ Hera

 _Not Today, Clown Mutts:_ Palatino

* * *

Kills:

Void: 2 (Elana, Jenny)

Ember: 2 (Ezra, Powder)

Julius: 1 (Grey)

Hera: 2 (Deloris, Autumn)

Rosy: 2 (Aldair, Jonathan)

Other: 1 (Merona)

* * *

 **Andddddddddd nobody's dead...yet...**

 **Also, clown nose extravaganza, courtesy of 20! Perfect way to top of a chapter of tributes freaking out, building weapons, and freaking out. How long will Void keep his secret hidden until somebody finds out? What the hell is going on with both District 3 tributes?**

 **Not much else to say since here everyone is still alive, of course, (for now) so you'll just have to wait and see for next chapter. Also, I'd like to announce the arrival of my newest SYOT on May 1st! So stay tuned for that!**

 **-Vr**


	38. Day 6: Shock Me

**Day 6:**

* * *

 _Amperia Fremont, 22_  
 _District 5 Female_

* * *

The mood at breakfast was tense, but it had been that way for a while. Amperia was pretty used to it by now. She often ate off by herself, careful not to attract too much attention from her allies, all who slept and ate with weapons nearby.

It was pretty obvious where Amperia fit in the ranks. Right at the very bottom. And that the Careers could easily kill her off if they really wanted to. So far, she was just around for numbers and to keep the Cornucopia neat and tidy.

Yesterday, things had changed, when Void sent her to take his spot as Aurora's hunting partner. They hadn't discovered anything and to Amperia, Aurora was not the most pleasant person to be around. She was very moody and sharp.

Void was the first to finish his breakfast, and he seemed to have a new plan in mind. "Aurora, do you mind staying back today?"  
Aurora's eyes narrowed. "Why?"  
"I stayed back yesterday. It's fair to me. We can all take turns."

Ember and Rosy exchanged glances, probably agreeing to get up and head off before things could get ugly. Aurora didn't respond, but wouldn't stop glaring at Void. Amperia pretended that the pot at her feet was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Fine." Aurora let her bowl fall to the ground with a loud clatter. "I'll stay back. If it makes you happy."  
"It really does. Come on, Amperia. Pack up."  
"For what?"  
"What do you think? We're going hunting."

A few minutes later, Amperia had a bag containing two knives, a water canteen, and lunch. Void also had a few knives of his own and made a point of showing them off. After about four days of ignoring the quiet woman from 5 who just sat at the Cornucopia and minded her own business, why was he suddenly so interested in her?

It was kind of unnerving, going from a black sheep to one of the Career's best pal. Amperia had seen the lines in the sand. Ember and Rosy were practically glued to each other. Void and Aurora seemed to have a mutual respect. And she was just there to clean the blood from their weapons in hope they'd spare her life another day.

Void pulled a strange object from his bag. Amperia just watched. "Is that your tracker?"  
"Yes it is." Void pressed something and the screen burst to life. "It's leading us towards the stage."  
"I thought you've already been there."

Void shook his head. "Ember and Rosy have."  
"Oh...right..."

Void reached into his pocket for a moment, then pulled his hand back out. Amperia could see the lump in his jacket sway from side to side. What did he have in there?

The tracker suddenly shut off. Void frowned, pressing the buttons, then smacking it with his free hand. "What on...what happened?"  
"Maybe it ran out of batteries?"  
"I can't even open this thing."

Amperia took a step back, in case the tracker exploded in her face or something. "Give it a minute or two. I guess you might've had it on for too long...or something."  
Void just shrugged, before handing her the tracker. "You know what, it's fine. We already know where we're heading."

The stage was almost in sight.

It was huge. Amperia had never seen such a large setup before. She wondered what kind of extravagant performances could be held on a stage like this, with its long, thick curtains, heavy spotlights, and backstage crew that was currently sleeping up in the rafters. Their mustard yellow jacket was impossible to miss.

Wait a minute...that wasn't the backstage crew...

It was another tribute...

"Jackpot!" Void cackled. "And he's all alone too!"  
"Yellow...that's District 3! Didn't someone from there score a 12?"

"Seriously?" Void rolled his eyes. "That's near impossible. The Gamemakers probably did that just for laughs."  
The tracker in Amperia's hands was vibrating now. "If I recall correctly, that did happen. We should be careful."

"Good idea. So you're gonna go from the left side and I'll go from the right. And between the two of us he, he'll no room to escape."

Void picked up his speed as the tribute in the rafters sat up. Amperia followed close behind. Suddenly, her ally froze in his tracks and she did too as her left arm began to pulse violently and it was as if a quick shock overcame her entire body.

"Void, did you feel that?"  
"You too? Damn, that was weird."  
"What should we do?"

Void reached into his pocket yet again. Amperia could see the tribute on the stage much more clearly now; the young boy was clearly freaking out. Void turned to face her, gently placing his fingers on top of her shoulder. "I have no clue what's going on right now and clearly, the Gamemakers aren't gonna give us any hints."

"Hints? What for?"  
"Sorry about this."

Void shoved his other hand into Amperia's stomach, creating a quick flash of white and blue light. The pain was absolutely blinding and she wanted to scream, but just...couldn't. Her vision began to black out as Amperia twitched. She couldn't do anything to stop it.

Void finally let her go, after a few seconds which felt like an absolute eternity. Amperia clasped to the ground, writhing in pain. She couldn't bring herself to face the shadow of the man looming over. She couldn't move. She just couldn't.

 _What the hell was that!? What did he do to her!?_

Tears pooled in her eyes. It felt like all the hair on her skin had been set on fire.

At the very last moment, she briefly glanced upwards, just in time to catch her old ally plunge a knife straight into her chest.

* * *

 _Palatino Clear, 12_  
 _District 3 Male_

* * *

BOOM!

Palatino covered his mouth with his hand to stifle the yelp that followed, watching the man from 1 yank the knife from his ally's body. The cannon rang in his ears. Palatino wanted to run away and hide, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene below, locking his gaze with that of the District 1 male, who just smiled and pointed the knife towards the stage.

The message he sent was very clear.

 _You're next._

"Oh God," Palatino muttered for himself as he blindly reached for his dagger. "Oh no...what do I do? What do I do!?"

In a normal situation, Palatino knew exactly what would happen. One of the Verona twins would spring into action, leading the alliance to safety, and Palatino would blindly follow behind. But the Veronas weren't here, were they? They left him to his own devices.

He had to save himself.

Palatino just watched, trying to rack his brain and remember his new enemy's name based off all the tributes who were left. Void, perhaps? Yeah, it had to be Void. And right now, Void was coming for him. Palatino glanced around frantically. He had blocked off one exit, leaving the second one free for him to escape through. Was it worth the risk? Or, did he have no choice but to fight?

Void froze up again, grimacing to himself as he grabbed at his arm, where a tracker had been injected into on the hovercraft several weeks ago. It was almost as if there was an invisible force keeping him from going after Palatino.

But why?

Palatino had no intention of sticking around to make guesses or test his luck. Onstage, he had worn out his welcome. He was getting away from here and never coming back.

He ran for the one unblocked door. He could hear some really faint footsteps echoing his, indicating that Void was also on the move as well. Palatino hurried down the stairs, nearly tripping over some of them as well. He held the dagger in front of him; his only weapon. He never thought he might actually need to use it.

The second Palatino reached the floor, he heard a loud hissing noise. He muttered a couple choice words to himself, then took off running in the opposite direction. Sure enough, the clown mutt was still nearby, probably still stuck by the other door.

And out on the main stage, Void was waiting from him.

A small tear stung Palatino's eye. He blinked it away. "What do you want from me?"  
"Shut it, kid! Do you know how hard it was to get to you in the first place?"

A small drop of blood fell from Void's knife as it dawned on Palatino just how terrifying the arena could be. He, a freaking kid, was up against a grown man over twice his age who wanted to kill him for seemingly no reason. Why? So one of them could live another day to kill somebody else and keep the cycle going.

Void switched off his tazer, sticking it into his pocket. "Well, now that I know this works fine, I think I'll save it for a rainy day."  
"You don't have to do this. Just leave me alone!"  
"Damn tempting offer. But I'll pass."

Void threw the knife at him. The blade cut through Palatino's right leg. Void slung his bag off one shoulder, quickly pulling out a second knife with ease. Palatino started limping backwards. How was he supposed to fight back now? He couldn't throw a dagger to save his life.

Tears flooded his eyes again. So, this was how he was going to die, wasn't it.

He didn't want to die.

He just wanted to go home.

Palatino's leg suddenly gave out underneath him and he slammed hard against the stage. He started crawling towards the edge, hoping he could jump off and keep running. Behind him, there was a small clattering noise as Void dropped his weapons, grabbing at his arm.

The tracker was keeping him from doing anything.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed his jacket and yanked him backwards. Palatino sniffed. All he could think about were his parents. The last time he spoke to them, he was ranting to the entire nation about how his family had no faith in him. He wished he could take it all back.

If his mother and father didn't forgive their son, he couldn't blame them.

He wished it would never come down to this.

He wished he was never chosen for the Hunger Games at all.

"This wasn't even worth all the effort," Void muttered under his breath. Palatino didn't have time to ask the man what he meant before a sharp pain exploded in his head. It lasted for only a few seconds. He felt very faint. Then he felt nothing at all.

BOOM!

* * *

 _Rachel Verona, 16_  
 _District 8 Female_

* * *

As the second cannon of the day fired, Rachel grabbed her twin's hand and they both exchanged mirrored looks of fear. What was going on?

DJ pushed their dirty hair out of their face. "We need to move."  
"Where?"  
"I don't know. But I don't want anyone else to find us."

Rachel felt a pang in her stomach. She wondered who the cannons were for. If they belonged to two Careers, that would be nice. Or at least someone older, who could easily take her down. Then it occurred to her. What if one of the cannons belonged to Palatino?

She looked back at DJ, who had yet to let go of her hand. How could they both live with themselves, knowing they left an ally do die?

DJ must've caught her hesitation, because they stopped in their tracks. "Don't think about it."  
"I know. At least we're in the final 10 now, right?"  
"Huh. Time flies."

Final 10. Nine people standing in the way between Rachel and victory. Eight of them were known enemies. One of them was family. Her sibling. Her own twin. How the hell would Rachel ever lay a finger on DJ? Especially after all the crap she put them through?

If anything, they deserved to stab her in the back instead.

She didn't think she could lay a hand on them.

Rachel's parched throat snapped her back to reality as she tried to slip the bag off. "Let's take a quick water break. Thirsty."  
"Yep. And I'm fucking starving."

As she rummaged through the bag, Rachel's face fell. "DJ, we're out of food."  
"You gotta be joking."  
"Take a look for yourself."

DJ grimaced. "Goddamn it. Where the hell are we supposed to get any food!? Nobody wants to even sponsor us!"  
"I don't know, alright? And keep your voice down! For someone who's so paranoid about us being spotted!"

The tempers stopped flaring and DJ sheepishly lowered their gaze. "I'm sorry."

Rachel wanted to bite back with a smartass remark, but she kept her mouth shut. The two of them were so similar that it caused a huge personality clash. But that's the way things were for the Veronas; their entire family was an emotional household.

"It's alright..." Rachel muttered softly. "Let's just...keep moving...okay?"  
DJ nodded. "I'm just worried."  
"I know. I am too."

DJ handed her the canteen and Rachel took a hearty sip of the lukewarm water, careful to press her lips on the opposite side of the canteen (but not like it would matter that much since they were family anyways). Afterwards, she screwed the lid on tight, then tipped over the bottle to make sure it wouldn't spill.

"That feels so much better. Ready to go?"  
"Eh. Sure."

"Good enough," Rachel muttered as she swung the bag back onto her shoulders. They had to be really close to the end of the arena by now.

For some reason, today felt really hot. The arena had always been a pretty cool temperature, especially at night. Rachel was thankful for the jacket but now, she just wanted to take it off. Bright pink was a really distracting colour as well; she felt like all eyes were on her.

 _Quinn wouldn't mind,_ Rachel thought to herself. _Quinn would say that I look good in every colour. He's so sweet like that..._

Oh fuck. Quinn. Rachel missed him with all her heart. He didn't deserve this ,watching his girlfriend and ex-friend in the Games together, pretending that the friction between them had been completely resolved. Friction from all the drama that he had unfairly been swept up in.

Because Rachel was a cruel and selfish bastard who couldn't accept DJ's differences.

"Ah fuck," DJ hissed. Their forehead was dripping with sweat. "We're all gonna get cooked alive."  
"Stop being a fucking drama queen. That's my job."  
"I don't see a crown anywhere, your Royal Highness."

DJ burst into laughter and Rachel forced herself to hold back a grin as she punched them in their shoulder. "I'm gonna get you for that."  
"Well, it's my turn to be the drama queen!"  
"I'm not giving my position up so easily!"

* * *

 **12th place: Amperia Fremont, District 5. Electrocuted and stabbed in the chest by Void.**

 **Oh man. Amperia, Amperia, Amperia. She got a nasty hand dealt to her in the arena, stuck at the very bottom of the Career totem pole and overall just treated like housework until Void decided he needed someone to test his tazer on. I loved exploring her character and how unlike so many adults in this story, she still wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her life. That felt incredibly realistic and refreshing to me. Thanks for her, 2017tnt!**

 **11th place: Palatino Clear, District 3. Stabbed in the head by Void.**

 **I think we all knew this would be coming at some point. Palatino was great for the subplot and such a fun character too! Unfortunately, after his remaining allies ditched him and he had to go up against an adult Career all by himself, not even the Gamemakers could rig him out safely. However, this isn't the end of Palatino Clear, and we will see the fallout of this whole subplot eventually!Thanks so much for him, Pi! He was such a spicy guy that really helped set the story in motion.**

* * *

 _Alliances:_

 _Dinner Tonight Is Gonna Be Awkward:_ Void, Ember, Aurora, Rosy

 _Probably The Most Functional Alliance:_ Alec, Ace, Synth

 _Mom Says it's My Turn To Be The Drama Queen:_ DJ, Rachel

 _How Ya Doing Over There:_ Hera

* * *

Kills:

Void: 4 (Palatino, Amperia, Elana, Jenny) _damn son_

Ember: 2 (Ezra, Powder)

Julius: 1 (Grey)

Aurora: 2 (Deloris, Autumn)

Hera: 2 (Julius, Arwan)

Rosy: 2 (Aldair, Jonathan)

Other: 1 (Merona)

* * *

 **We're slowly getting closer to the end as two more tributes bite the dust! What's gonna happen with the Career alliance? What will the Gamemakers do? Which Verona twin is the bigger drama queen? My money's on Rachel.**

 **Anyways, not much else to say here (except that two more deaths and we'll be in the Final 8 ehehe) so see you all next chapter! Also, I highly suggest you keep your eyes peeled for a new SYOT from me dropping on May 1st!**

 **-Vr**


	39. Night 6: Deuces Are Wild

**Night 6:**

* * *

 _Rosemary "Rosy" Ivring, 19_  
 _District 4 Female_

* * *

"Did you find anyone?"

Rosy shook her head as Aurora just looked disappointed. "You two have been hunting for days. You'd think that by now, you would've discovered something."  
"Just give it time, alright?" Rosy tossed her bag to the ground. "There's not as many people left, so of course it's gonna take us longer."  
"But there were two cannons this morning-"

Ember just rolled his eyes, opening the top of a water canteen in draining it in seconds flat. "We know. We heard them. What would you like us to do about it?"  
Aurora sighed and stomped back into the Cornucopia.

Truth be told, Rosy was starting to feel a little discouraged. Were the Gamemakers hiding the other tributes from them on purpose? Creating wild goose chases to drive the Careers insane? Or was it simply a case of her and Ember being a bit too oblivious and not looking in the right spot? They had gone towards the giant circus tent this morning, only to find it completely burnt to the ground. She had no clue what happened.

Maybe the hints were there all along.

Rosy tapped Ember on the back. "We're gonna go check the tent again tomorrow."  
"Are you sure? Nobody lives there."  
"The Gamemakers wouldn't just randomly burn it down without reason. I think somebody else did it."

Ember sighed. "I guess you have a point."  
"Tomorrow morning?"  
"Oh, for sure."

"Do you guys know when Void and Amperia are getting back?' Aurora interrupted, while scrubbing one of the pots. "I'm willing to bet they have something to do with the cannons."  
Ember shrugged. "Nope, no clue. You actually think I talk to him?"  
"I just...I don't know why he'd take her when she-"

"I think he might be on the edge," Rosy mused. "As if he's expecting some kind of attack on our supplies and he wants a capable Career behind to deal with any intruders. I'm sure we'll get our turn partnering with Amperia eventually. It probably had nothing to do with you."

Aurora's face softened...or so Rosy thought. It was hard to tell with this girl sometimes. Especially with how tense the atmosphere was lately.

"Well...fine. It's not a big deal right now," the girl from 2 muttered in what sounded like a sarcastic tone. "Do you mind helping me make dinner? The vegetables are starting to go bad."  
Ember stuck his hands in his pockets and whistled. "I'll be with you two in a second. I just have to go take a leak."

"Gee, thanks for your help, asshat," Aurora muttered under her breath. Rosy added some water to the pot before using a match to light some wood on fire. Balancing the pot over the water, she used the end of a spear to stir it while Aurora added some hastily chopped vegetables using a knife. Once Ember was back, he slice up some loaves of bread and they took turns dipping the pieces into their makeshift soup.

Rosy noticed that the remaining bread slices had been divided up. Ember pointed to the stale ends with the spear. "Those are for Void."  
"A little harsh, wouldn't you say so, Chef Johnson?"  
"If his cooking is as good as he claims, he'll have no problem making them edible."

"Speak of the devil," Aurora said, staring off into the distance. Ember let the spear clatter to the ground. They all knew who was approaching them at this point. But despite the familiarity of it all, Rosy instantly noticed something extremely off.

Void was alone.

She glanced over at Ember and she could see the confusion on his face.

If Aurora had any thoughts running through her hand, she didn't let it show. "Where is Amperia?"

Void giggled nervously. "Oh. Okay. You are not gonna believe this, but I swear it happened. We got attacked. By the little kid from 3 of all people! He was a really good fighter too, totally unpredictable. But he managed to get some really bad hits on Amperia before I finally killed him. You probably heard the cannons."

"A 12 year-old from District 3." Ember was skeptical.  
"Yes."  
"Managed to match a 25 year-old man and kill a 22 year-old woman."  
"He got a high score for a reason."

Ember folded his arms, but kept his mouth shut. It was still pretty obvious that he didn't seem to believe Void's story. And Rosy wasn't sure she bough it either. She just watched as Void dug some dried blood out of his fingernails. Whose blood was it?

"I think we shouldn't dwell on this too much, alright?" Void just smiled. "It's been a big day. Anyways, what's for dinner? I'm starving!"  
"Bread and soup," Ember said in a deadpan tone.  
"Sounds good to me! Thanks for prepping the meal!"

"I'm going to bathroom," Rosy said casually, before grabbing Ember's jacket sleeve and pulling him along with her. Once they were out of earshot, she grabbed her ally by the shoulders and turned him to face her. "He killed her."  
"That's exactly what I was thinking!"  
"But I can't figure out why."

Ember didn't respond. Rosy lowered her voice to a whisper. "This alliance is a sinking ship. I know it's still a bit early. But if we stay around any longer, we'll probably be next."  
"So we need to leave then. How about tonight?"

"Tonight," Rosy confirmed. "Tonight indeed."

* * *

 _Synthize "Synth" Greene, 20_  
 _District 11 Male_

* * *

He couldn't remember ever feeling so hungry.

Despite living in 11 of all places, in house with five other people and one of them being paralyzed, the Greenes usually had enough money left to over to put food on the table. Usually nothing fancy, but at least everyone went to bed with something in their stomachs.

Between the three of them, their food had gone down along with the burning tent.

Ace had been unusually quiet since the whole incident, something that Synth didn't really like. in the short time he knew Ace, he could always count on the boy to be the one possessive force in the alliance. Alec was...Alec. Ever since his big confession, things had been pretty awkward between them too.

The responsibility had fallen onto Synth's shoulders, whether he liked it or not. He had to keep his alliance alive.

Or he could just...no! He was not leaving Ace and Alec to die! What kind of person would he be if he did such a thing!? Alec could probably hold his own but Ace...Ace was just a kid. He didn't deserve to be betrayed by the person who was supposed to protect him.

The sky darkened as the Anthem began to play. The faces of the boy from 3 and the woman from 5 flashed above Synth's head before they faded away, never to be seen again. It amazed him how quickly everyone was killing each other. And somehow, he was in the top 10.

Huh. It was kinda morbid to think about, actually.

"We need food," Alec said slowly. "We haven't eaten in two days."  
"I know. What would you like me to do about it?"  
"If only...if only..."

Synth got the hint. If only the sponsors actually cared about them.

Ace wrapped the blanket tighter around himself. Just like Synth and Alec, he was starving, but he never really mentioned it. Merona's death must've hit him a lot harder than Synth originally thought. God, it was so weird. Ace and Konnor were the exact same age. If Synth hadn't stepped up at the last minute to volunteer...

"This makes me wonder if Garret's withholding stuff on purpose," Alec mused. "Maybe we're a lot closer to food than we think, so he doesn't need to waste money to send us some. But if that's the case, we should have figured that out by now."  
"You might be onto something," Synth pointed out. "We have to take matters into our own hands now."  
"How?"

"Good question..."  
"You..." Alec's cheeks flared up. "Oh my God. You don't have any idea what you're doing, do you?"

"Well, I have one idea. But I'm still trying to figure out whether or not it's worth the risk."

There was a loud clang as Ace kicked at the two spears lying on the ground. Inspiration struck Synth as he paced in a circle for a brief moment, figuring out the details of his plan. Maybe it was stupid, but if they could pull it off just right...

Yes, it could work. It had to.

"We're gonna go raid the Cornucopia."

Alec sneered for a moment, then a look of fear washed onto his face. "You're kidding."  
"We need supplies. You saw how much there was, right? I highly doubt the Careers will have used up everything by now."  
"Synth, they're trained. And there's only three of us. One of us is a little kid."

Synth felt something soft brush his leg. Ace was standing behind him. He looked scared.

Alec drew his sword and just pointed it at the ground. "Besides, they're gonna want to kill me. No way in hell I'll make it out of there alive."  
"I'm sure you'll be fine. Just the two of us. In, grab something, out. It will be quick."

"What about me?" Ace whispered.  
"I want you to stay here."  
"Why?"

 _Because I don't want to get a kid killed,_ Synth thought, but he decided not to say that out loud. "Just stay here, alright? Try and catch some sleep."  
"We're going now?" Alec's voice rose a couple of octaves before he quieted himself.

"It's our best shot."  
"Are you sure about this?"

"No." The spears begin to stick to Synth's sweaty palms. "It's gonna be crazy. But...we have to take that risk so we can at the very least say we tried. Let's go."

* * *

 _Ember Johnson, 18_  
 _District 1 "Female"_

* * *

How could he possibly fall asleep right now?

Goddamn it, Ember was such a ball of nerves. In just a few short minutes, he and Rosy were going to pack up as quickly as possible and ditch the Careers for good. The tension was just so thick, it wouldn't be much longer before something (probably Void) snapped and killed the others in their sleep.

Speaking of Void, Ember just needed him to go to bed.

The fire they had used to make dinner was slowly dying out. Both Void and Ember sat around it, watching the bright orange flames flicker back and forth. The silence was giving Ember a lot of time to think...maybe too much. What if something went wrong? What if Void knew about their plan?

Ember just wanted to win. He wanted to go back home to his parents, his brother and Constance.

Void stretched and yawned. "Get some sleep, Johnson. I can handle this myself."  
"I'm not tired."  
'Why is that?"

Ember didn't respond. Void raised an eyebrow. "So, you want to take first watch shift then?"  
"I can do that. Rosy said she'll take the second one."  
"That's fine by me. Don't do anything crazy, like slit my throat."

Ember laughed nervously. "I would never even dare go near you."

Void crawled into his sleeping bag and was soon fast asleep. Ember just watched for a bit, before retreating inside the Cornucopia. He quickly grabbed as much food, water, and medical supplies as possible, stuffing them into open backpacks. In a few seconds, Rosy would be waiting for him, having faked going to sleep. And the two of them would run.

"Ember," a voice whispered. "Are you ready?"  
"Let me just..." Ember zipped the bags shut. "There. Are we clear? Rosy?"

There was no response. It was too dark for Ember to properly see anything, so he pulled a flashlight from one of the bags. He briefly caught the silhouette of someone creeping around, but he wasn't sure who they were.

"Rosy? Can you hear me? We need to leave." Ember pointed the flashlight outwards to see Alec Thorngrove of all people staring him down, pointing a sword towards his face.

 _Son of a-_

Behind Alec, his ally showed up. Ember couldn't quite remember his name; Synth, maybe. Anyways, Synth raised his spear in the air, right over Aurora who had come to her sense and tried to scramble to her feet. Synth plunged the spear into her stomach as Alec charged at Ember.

There was a sudden flash of blue as Rosy tackled Alec from behind, holding a throwing knife up to his neck. Void was awake too, adding to the confusion. Ember picked up one of the bags and swung it, clocking Alec in the head. The boy from 4 slumped over and Rosy, who still had her arms wrapped around his neck, nearly tripped over her district partner.

The flashlight fell from Ember's hands and onto the ground; the shadows of the tributes appeared on the Cornucopia's walls. Ember charged at Synth, who was currently preoccupied with Void, but turned around at the last minute. His spear was flipped sideways to block the oncoming strike of Ember's sword.

"Ember!? Ember! Give me a hand!"  
"Rosy!" Ember glanced behind him just in time to see Alec throw Rosy over his back, grab her knife, and stab her in the chest.

"No!" Ember screamed. Alec just stared at him in shock, two backpacks stuffed to the brim hanging off his arm. Ember just jumped at him, ready to drive his sword straight through the traitor's body and tear him to shreds-

Something hard struck him in the head. Ember collapsed facefirst into the ground, right next Rosy's dying body.

"Alec, let's move!" Synth yelled. Ember groaned and cursed, struggling to his feet. His vision blurred and tears stung his eyes. No, no they couldn't be escaping. He was going to kill Alec, kill him...make him pay...for what he did...

"What the hell was that!?" Void yelled.  
"Shut the fuck up and help me get them!"  
"You're in no position to kill someone right now, you absolute idiot."

"But..." Ember hoisted himself onto his knees. "Rosy...holy shit, Rosy..."  
"She's dead."  
"No, no! No, she's not! She-"

Void grabbed Ember, dragging him to his feet as two cannons fired in the background. "You hear that!? We lost both of them! They messed us up, and you especially messed up. What the fuck are you gonna do about it now!?"

Ember blinked, suddenly feel very numb. His closest allies were dead, leaving him and Void no choice but to work together. Rosy's killer was still out there, and he needed to be taught a lesson. Ember Johnson was done taking shit from everybody and anybody. He was out for the kill.

"I'm going to bed. First thing tomorrow, I'm going for revenge."

* * *

 **10th place: Aurora Xu, District 2. Speared through the chest by Synth.**

 **Aurora was such an amazing addition to the Careers. She wasn't here to build traps or make friends, she was here to fight and win. I enjoyed having her no-nonsense attitude, since it could make for some really funny moments at times in the ever dysfunctional Career pack. But unfortunately, she was caught off-guard and given no chance to defend herself. Thanks so much for her, Axe Smelling God!**

 **9th place: Rosy Ivring, District 4. Stabbed in the chest by Alec.**

 **Rosy was such a great use of the Quell twist and as a result, she was so much fun to write. As the only sane man of the wonderful Career pack, the relationships and dynamics she had with so many characters were just so much fun and I loved writing her friendship with Ember. She may not have been your typical Career, but she could be serious and she meant business. Thank you for much for Rosy, incandescentserendipity!**

* * *

 _Alliances:_

 _All About That Sweet, Sweet Revenge:_ Void, Ember

 _Pros, We Have Food. Cons, the Careers Are After Us:_ Alec, Ace, Synth

 _Probably Still Very Dramatic:_ DJ, Rachel

 _So...How's Life:_ Hera

* * *

Kills:

Void: 4 (Palatino, Amperia, Elana, Jenny)

Ember: 2 (Ezra, Powder)

Julius: 1 (Grey)

Aurora: 2 (Deloris, Autumn)

Hera: 2 (Julius, Arwan)

Alec: 1 (Rosy)

Rosy: 2 (Aldair, Jonathan)

Synth: 1 (Aurora)

Other: 1 (Merona)

* * *

 **And just like that, it's the Final 8! Did you expect it to be composed of these tributes? Is Ember doing the right thing by seeking to avenge Rosy? Can Alec and Synth hold their ground against an angery emotional Career?**

 **Sponsoring is still open, by the way! I will continue with the two gifts per chapter method. And despite the next two chapters being dedicated to Final 8 interviews, you can still send your gifts in! (Also, the interviews mean Ember's revenge is gonna be delayed an extra in-Games day. Sorry Ember XD)**

 **Oh, by the way, Hearts of Glass and Gold is now open and looking for submissions! if you're curious, you can view all the details up on my profile!**

 **See you all next chapter!**

 **-Vr**


End file.
